Hi all,
We are heading to Aviemore next weekend for a few days, and wondered if there are any things to do to break up the journey on the way up the A9? Stop offs with anything interesting for the wee one would be good. Any suggestions or experiences much appreciated 🙂

Active Kid Adventure Park is surprisingly good and has a good cafe/restaurant too if the weather isn’t so good.

You could easily spend half a day wandering around and playing.

Home

Tisos at Perth has a soft-play area, cafe and lots of outdoor/bike gear to ogle.

Beatrix Potter garden at Dunkeld? http://www.perthshire.co.uk/index.asp?pg=231

Play the “lets travel in the car boot” game?

+1 Tisos
Nice cafe. Book the kids in sit back relax

Fish ladder/dam at Pitlochry? There used to be a wee fairground at pitlochry too, not sure if its still on the go.

There is a deer park near Aberfeldy – mind you last time i was there they didn’t have any deer on show they were pregnant.

Tisos soft play is ok, but its pricey if you are just going for 20mins to have a coffee.

stop for a poo at the House of Puar, and point at range rover drivers in salmon pink chinos with mustard jumpers tied around their shoulders.

Drugs.

Lol some good suggestions there 😀

Thanks Peterfile, I think that may be “just the dab” 😀

Is there not still a Wimpy on the A9? Stop off there and show them how we used to live.

Only if your Tardis is operational

Just north of the House of Bruar on the A9 there’s a quite nice cafe that has a decked area and kids’ play area out the back. It’s on the left heading north.

Car surfing?

stewart tower for the ice cream
highland wildlife park, but you’re pretty much at aviemore by the time you get there. tigers and polar bears

Methinks you’re thinking of the cafe/shop at Bankfoot, between Perth and Dunkeld?

iPad & haribo

Call yourself a parent? Tsk.

The cafe north of Bruar is at Ralia.

http://www.ralia.co.uk/

I’d hang on and stop for tea and cake at the Inschriach Nursery. The kids will love the overlook to the squirrels, pine marten and birds.

http://www.inshriachnursery.co.uk/the-potting-shed-at-inshriach

A walk up through the Hermitage to Ossian’s Hall is good for a stretch of the legs too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossian’s_Hall_of_Mirrors

Escape Route in Pitlochry has good coffee.

Ah – possibly. I wasn’t aware of a play area. Pretty close to Aviemore though, so hardly breaking the journey up much (Inshriach is even closed but at least there’s something worth diverting for 🙂 )

Play the “lets travel in the car boot” game?

Don’t forget to drill some air hole this time

Blair Drummond Safari park.

Cheers everyone, havent been to Ralia cafe for ages, is the food still as nice there?

No, not the Ralia cafe. The Perthshire Visitor Centre just on the B867 turnoff for Bankfoot:

http://www.perthshirevisitorcentre.co.uk/about-us/maps-and-directions.htm

It’s a few yards off the A9 but on the slower A road and has a cafe with decent food and drink and an outside decked area where parents can watch their little darlings in the play area. We always used to pitstop there when going to Aviemore because it’s convenient, safe and just the right distance beyond Perth.

(House of Bruar was a red herring; blame Mrs Gti for that!)

My dad used to let us ride on the roof rack and the first one to spot a wild haggis got first gulp on a bottle of pop !

scotroutes – Member

Only if your Tardis is operational

It’s a little chef. Denied 🙁

We did 5hours each way to Wales and back with a 1 year old and a 4 year old last week. We spent £80 on a 2screen alba in car dvd player. Money well spent minimal complaining in both directions.

What it highlighted was just how poo motorway services are for young kids. We took the view that better to nail the journey with a 15-20minute stop every 1.5hours or so and forget trying to make it fun for the boys.

Sorry not much specific help there.