Aviemore used to be a small tranquil town inside the Cairngorm National Park, but during the 1960’s this town turned into a popular Skiing resort where winter adventurers face the challenges of the Cairngorm mountains Ski slopes. After suffering from poor development in the next decades, today, the town boasts a fresher look with nice amenities made for the tourists.
This town is around 30 miles from Inverness City center and can be reached via train or a taxi service from Inverness. There are good spots to see along the way so being able to stop by will be a good advantage for a tourist who wants to make the most of their once-in-a-lifetime Scottish vacation.
To help you in going to Aviemore and find a couple of good things to do there, we give you this Aviemore guide.
Things to do in Aviemore
Aviemore in Scotland is better known for being a skiing holiday resort in the winter when the Cairngorms are blanketed with snow, but in the summer Aviemore is alive with hill walkers and adventure seekers taking advantage of the many activities around the area. Here are some places to visit and the things you can do there:
1. Rothiemurchus Estate
The Rothiemurchus Estate is a place of stunning natural beauty, hosting one of the largest natural forests in the United Kingdom. It has a massive range of activities you can take part in from land, to water, and in the air. Treezone is one activity the children will love. Clay Pigeon Shooting and Quad trekking are two other activities to check.
2. Highland Wildlife Park
The Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig is a great place for families to visit when on Holiday in Scotland. It’s located just 7 miles south of Aviemore and this great attraction will keep you occupied for many hours. There are an excellent range of animals to see including Polar Bears, Tigers, Wolves and Birds of Prey. They have a dedicated staff who are always on hand to answer your questions. At various times of the day, you can watch the park rangers feed the animals and this gives you an ideal chance to take some great photographs with the animals being very lively.
3. Loch Garten Ospreys
The Loch Garten Ospreys are great to visit especially if you are wildlife fan. Located within the Abernethy Forest on the road between Boat of Garten and the Village of Nethy Bridge, not only a great forest location with beautiful Lochs it boasts great facilities to view the Ospreys. Inside the center are telescopes and binoculars to view these wonderful birds and there are television monitors too with live footage of the nests. However, this is only open in the Summer months due to the migration of the birds.
4. Cairngorm Reindeers
Reindeers can be seen roaming free on the majestic mountains and hills of the Cairngorm National Park. You can take guided tours up the hills with the Reindeer herders or simply visit the Reindeers at the paddocks where you can meet and stroke the reindeers close up. There’s also a shop by the paddocks you can visit where you can buy lovely gifts including books. You can even adopt a Reindeer if you like, but we guess that will be difficult for a tourist who should ride a plane going home.
5. Glenmore Forest Park
The Glenmore Forest Park is popular in Scotland for its outstanding beauty. It is situated at the foot of the Cairngorm Mountains and clad with Caledonian forest. Here, you will never run out of things to do. The place is awash with activities for all the family. Loch Morlich is also located here with a great curving stretch of golden sand that stands proud with a backdrop not seen anywhere else in the UK. The Cairngorms is a lovely Place to visit anytime of the year. During the summer, the loch nearby facilitates water sport activities which will thrill everyone in the family.
6. Strathspey Steam Railway
Don’t you want to see a classic and working steam train that gives a vibe like you are traveling to the world of Harry Potter. The Strathspey Steam Train is located right in the center of Aviemore and runs from Aviemore to Broomhill. Running close to the River Spey, this 19-mile trip gives you stunning views of the Cairngorm National Park. There are plenty of events to enjoy throughout the year including Mother’s Day specials and of course the Santa Express.
7. G2 Outdoor
If you want a more extreme adventure on your Scottish holiday, then you must visit G2 Outdoor. This place can provide you with tons of excitement and adventure with activities for all ages, you can do Rock Climbing, Mountain Biking, Canoeing, Hill Walking and so much more. They also provide a full winter and summer program and keep you safe with a highly experienced team of outdoor instructors.
8. Skiing in Aviemore
And what fun would it be being in Aviemore without skiing? Unfortunately, though, it’s not on for the whole year. When looking for a place to Ski in Scotland during the winter, Aviemore is the first place on most people’s minds, The Cairngorm Mountains provide ideal facilities to have the perfect Skiing holiday in Scotland.
The Cairngorm ski resort is about eight miles from Aviemore, rising above Loch Morlich and the Glenmore forest park. This resort is easily accessible from Aviemore with their local buses.
How to Get to Aviemore
When going to Aviemore, you have three options for traveling. First and the mostly widely used option is by train. There are around 13 trains that travel from Inverness to Aviemore per day and the earliest one leaves at 4:30 in the morning. The last train leaves at past 8:00 P.M.
Riding at this train will cost you around £13.20 per way and the travel time usually lasts for 40 minutes. This rate means £52.8 if you are 4 in your group or £105.6 if you are 8. But you still need to spend on a taxi transport service from your hotel to the train station and from the Aviemore Train station then to your Aviemore accommodation, so be prepared with additional £10-£20.
The second and, probably, your better option is to go to Aviemore using taxi service from IT Taxis. The 30-mile trip only costs £50 for 4 passengers and £72 for 8 passengers, making it a cheaper option for traveling to Aviemore. Not only can you save a couple of pounds, but you can also have the freedom to stop by spots that offer great photo ops. Finally, you will be most comfortable when you have your own private service that will drive you for that long.
Planning to go to Aviemore this year? Our guide gives you the best recommendations on where to go and how to go to Aviemore. Book you taxi service with IT Taxis early.