My husband will be attending a conference to be held in the Aviemore Highland Resort at the end of May this year. I'll be going along too but will obviously have more spare time than he will.
We'll be there for a week (Saturday to Saturday - the conference runs from Monday-Friday).

To those of you who know the area: can you recommend any "must do" and "must see" activities? Hiking boots and weather-proof clothes are obvious, so is Loch Ness and Loch an Eilein. We'll be renting a car for the week so we're pretty flexible.

All suggestions most welcome

The Cairngorm Mountain Railway is good, takes you up to the top of the mountain with some spectacular views at the summit. If you like animals the Highland Wildlife park, is fantastic. They even have a couple of Polar bears & tigers.

There are also quite a few distilleries in the area so you can go whisky tasting.

Thank you!

Arisaig and the white sands of Mòrar (as seen in Local Hero)


Frank Bruce Sculpture Trail

Aahhh - Arisaig... brings back memories We stayed at Arisaig House when it was still a hotel quite a few times. Unfortunately they stopped a few years ago, I remember it as being one of the best "hotel experiences" ever! The area is extremely beautiful and mystical. Thanks!

The beach at Morar is one of the most beautiful on the planet. It is quite a distance from Aviemore though.

loch lomond are nicer than loch ness (too commercial the loch ness).
Anyway a lot of things are "must do" there, although watchout for midgies

Yes - Loch Lomond is really beautiful, but we've been there so many times and I've only really been to Loch Ness once 1 million visitors and 10 million midges can't be wrong

Hi

I am from Scotland but further down, Ayrshire. Fort William and Inverness are nice places to visit. Try looking up the visit Scotland web site and it will be a wealth of useful information too.

You must try slice sausage, black pudding and fish n' chips when you are there....yum yum!!

Enjoy!

The reindeer centre is good - you get to go on a nice walk in the hills and feed the reindeer.

http://www.cairngormreindeer.co.uk/

A roll and slice is a must have, and re the midges - Avon Skin So Soft oil spray is really good to deter them.

Also have a look at http://www.visitscotland.org/ for ideas

Hi,

I grew up about an hour away, and love going home!

If you like walking then check out speyside region - the speyside way. It is beautiful. I know the area around Aberlour - breathtaking.

Also you are really close to all the distilleries - Glenfiddich distillery is really close to aviemore, and is good to visit even if you are not a whisky fan.

Along the moray coast is also lovely, and villages like findhorn are beautiful if the weather is good.

Also, if you have a car a drive north of inverness is stunning - there is a beautiful castle there called Dunrobin Castle. It has the most stunningly amazing grounds, and has birds of prey displays.

I could go on more. I'll have a think about other places (including restaurants etc) and post more.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to all who have replied - greatly appreciated

If I remember from my only visit north of the border, when I was a kid, the Osprey sanctuary is nearby, if you like that sort of thing. Maybe not such a novelty now, as their numbers have increased well in the last 30-40 yrs. When I visited I think that this was the only breeding pair in the UK, and there was much interest at the time (or good tourism promotion).
Failing that take a small pair of "Big-Foot" type skis (easier to transport) - after all Aviemore is the centre of the UK wintersports industry, and may well end up having more snow than here.

I lived all my life in Fife and holidayed regularly in the Moray Firth/Speyside region. Would also suggest all the places people have previously said, but just one word of warning, many places of Tourist interest do not open until Easter time, so worth checking before making the journey. I know that most distilleries are closed until April, but Glenfiddich which has one of the best tours is infact open all year round. Also to Speyside Cooperage Centre is open all year and great to visit.

Couple of websites to help you decide

www.greater-speyside.com

www.visitscotland.com

Enjoy your visit!

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