Heading up with the family for a week on Sat, go at least once a year, more often in summer. Bikes, cold weather gear, swim kit, ipads, what else ?

Boys (8 and 12) are well used to Loch Gamhna, Loch an Eilean, Speyside Way to Boat of Garten etc, trails along side of river. I’ll be hoping for some early morning rides further up the hill, Burma Rd etc

Will no doubt have an afternoon at Landmark 🙁 . What else am I missing ?

Talk a wander up the hill with the reindeer folk at Glenmore to visit the herd?

The highland zoo is well worth a visit, http://www.highlandwildlifepark.org.uk/

peter – good plan, haven’t been up there for yrs, infact since my daughter ‘sponsored a reindeer’ when she was about 10 (it’s her 21st this yr 🙂 )

juan – good call, not been there, thanks

Glen Einich/Loch Einich
Glen Feshie (road down west side has best views)
Uath Lochan
Feshiebridge Sculpture Park
Meall a Bhuachaile (go up from visitor centre, descend to Ryvoan, pass the Green Lochan on the way back)
Mini trail centre at Grantown on Spey
Scrambling in the Chalamain Gap
Lots of frogs and toads out now (saw a wee lizard last weekend)
Walk up Craigellachie
Canoe/kayak on Loch Morlich or Loch Insh

Culloden Battlefield and Fort George aren’t too far away.
Moray Coast (Culbin, Lossiemouth, Findhorn)
Dolphins at Chanonry Point

Only a week eh?

scotroutes – appreciated, was hoping you’d chip in 🙂

FWIW, I had to scrape ice off the car this morning and there was fresh snow falling when I left for work.

^^^ aye, snowing in East Kilbride this am too when I left for work 🙂

hoping it warms up a bit end of the week. In true stw fashion though one of the prerogatives of the rental cottage was a woodburner, along with free wifi 🙂

Snowing in Dunblane here now:(

I’m heading up to Glenlivet at some point, maybe Friday, maybe Sat will see what Wx is doing. Might sift around Aviemore as well, possibly Laggan. All good.

What else am I missing ?

Skis/snowboards?

(Plenty of places to rent locally)

We are in Avimeore from Saturday as well but in a campervan!

Just how bad is Landmark? It’s on the itinerary paid for by Tesco vouchers.

There is also a trail centre on the Glenlivet estate on rd to Tomintoul.

orange_c – Landmark is good for the kids and if you have vouchers even better. Its very commercial, usually packed out, but our kids love the aerial rope stuff. The steam sawmill is good, and a climb up the firetower has a good view. Don’t go on a wet day as it will be miserable and manky…

Haven’t ridden the glenlivet stuff since they did the trail building – was last in that bit 2 yrs ago, did a lovely snowy ride from Tomintoul over the hill to the distillery :

Landmark is much much better than you’d think. I was actually quite impressed.

Worth checking whether they’ll still be on winter timetable though, since if they are many of the attractions will be closed.

I think Landmark is actually pretty good. It used to be a simple folk / heritage centre when it first opened (I went then..) but have been with the kids since then and in its new incarnation is very slick and lots of fun TBH.

Take your own food though. And a bit miserable when wet, I got a major case of infection when I went and it was cold & wet.. 🙁

There’s a better High Ropes course at Rothiemurchus now, plus G2 Outdoor run a zip-line course at Alvie Estate

Wet weather options of cinema and swimming pool up at the MacDonald hotel. That mini bike park at Grantown on Spey might be fun for kids as it’s not too big and we’ve done archery and kayaking near there too. There are also facilities for this at Loch Insh but we had a bad experience there so I’m loathe to recommend them.

You do know about the cake shop yeah?

The Highland Folk Museum is another which is surprisingly good and easy to kill 1/2 a day there unless the weather is terrible.

It’s a sprawling open air museum which is lovely and interesting to walk around in fine weather, but darting between the buildings in torrential rain is not so much fun.

check opening times (days) for the cake shop (Inchriach). It used to be closed at the star of the week..

Closed Mon/Tue

Highland Folk Museum will likely be overrun by Outlander-ists

You do know about the cake shop yeah?

oh yes 🙂

Highland Folk Museum will likely be overrun by Outlander-ists

I have had a bet with a colleague that we will be overrun with yanks this year due to this.