The small Scottish town of Aviemore is the gateway to the Highlands and an easy stop if you are travelling North on the A9. However, it should be more than just a stop on the way North to the Scottish Highlands. There is plenty to do in Aviemore and the surrounding area to make it worthy of stopping for several days or even a week long holiday. Hopefully this Aviemore itinerary will be useful to you, feel free to tweak it however you like!
If you have a bit longer than a week then you can also take a few day trips elsewhere nearby, including Loch Ness or Fort William. In the winter months you may also want to consider skiing in the beautiful landscapes. The Cairngorm mountain range is well known for it’s ski resorts!
There are plenty of places to stay from hotels, to self catering or even camping in the Cairngorm National Park.
Table of Contents
A Week In Aviemore Itinerary
Day 1 in Aviemore
Arrive in Aviemore this morning, it’s only a 2 half hour drive from Edinburgh or Glasgow. Please do be careful on the A9, it’s notorious for accidents with people trying to overtake at the wrong time! A good starting point is to stop for lunch at the Rothiemurchus estate, The Barn has delicious home cooked food 7 days a week!
After lunch try an activity at the Rothiemurchus estate such as pony trekking, quad bike treks or the treezone. Please note that activities do need booked in advance. If you are looking for a cheaper afternoon activity or feel like stretching your legs head over to Loch an Eilein. There’s a large car park (which you need to pay for parking) and toilets nearby. The loch is beautiful and has the picturesque ruins of a small castle on a small island in the loch. You can walk as far as you like, although it takes around 1-2 hours to walk all the way around the loch.
Have dinner in Aviemore, there are several different restaurants including the Rowan Tree Country Hotel and Anderson’s restaurant.
Day 2 in Aviemore
Today you are going to visit Cairngorm Mountain at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park! In the winter it’s perfect for skiing, but this is a great place for summer activities too! Walk along one of the many trails or try your hand a tubing on the mountainside. If you are unsure about walking or would like some insight into the flora and fauna of the area you could perhaps book a guided walk.
The Cairngorm funicular was taken out of action several years ago due to maintenance issues. However it’s due to be reopened again in spring 2023, which makes it even easier to get to the top of the highest mountains. You can grab a tasty lunch at either Cairngorm cafe or the Cas Bar.
After lunch take your bikes out (you can hire them if you don’t have any with you) for a spin on the many trails around the nearby forests and lochs. There are plenty of trails to choose from, check out this link for Aviemore bike trails.
Day 3 in Aviemore Itinerary
The small town of Aviemore is the perfect place to enjoy a leisurely steam train ride. The Strathspey railway is right in the middle of the village of Aviemore, making it easy to get to! You will need to book tickets in advance to guarantee a space. The train has 3 stations; Aviemore train station, Boat of Garten and Broomhill. The train journey is only an 1 hour 45 minutes return journey, but you can make a longer trip by stopping off at Boat of Garten to visit a cafe for lunch and take a walk around one of the many nearby trails. Catch the next train back to Aviemore once you’ve finished exploring Boat of Garten.
Back in Aviemore take a drive up to visit the Cairngorm reindeer herd at the Cairngorm Reindeer centre. Located in Glenmore village you can visit the herd in the paddock throughout the year. If you would like a more exciting experience you can book tickets for a hill trip, which requires walking up the hill for 30 minutes to meet the hill herd and be right in the middle of the reindeer.
Day 4 in Aviemore
If you are visiting Aviemore with kids then you are going to want to head across to Landmark Forest Adventure Park. It’s one of the best places near Aviemore to visit with kids. Book your tickets to visit in advance, there is a public bus that takes you past Landmark. However the easiest way to get there is by your own car. Landmark is great for kids of all ages with a new dinosaur kingdom, wild water coaster, bamboozleum, ropeworx, ant city, skydive and a butterfly house. Although there are plenty of other things to do! Older kids particularly love the huge water coasters and tree courses. I’d recommend a whole day to explore the park, particularly when queues are longer during peak season.
Day 5 in Aviemore
On day 5 it’s worth visiting the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie. The Highland Wildlife Park is part of RZSS and are fully committed to animal conservation alongside educating the public. There are many animals in the large park area, including the Amur Tiger, Japanese Macaque, snow leopard and polar bear. You may not see all the animals (they have large enclosures!), but you can guarantee to see quite a few animals. Again this a full day trip with so many exciting animals to see. You can also book experience vouchers available to get closer to certain animals and even feed them! The vouchers need to be booked well in advance as they quickly sell out.
Day 6 in Aviemore
Today there are a variety of choices of outdoor activities to choose from. Either head back to Rothiemurchus to try a few more activities such as fishing or even axe throwing! Other alternatives are gorge walking (full wetsuits and helmets are provided) or river tubing on a nearby river, or try some water sports on Loch Morlich.
In the afternoon why not try out the Zip Trek Adventure, zip lining over gorges and through tree tops of ancient woodland. It’s a fantastic way to spend an adrenaline filled afternoon together!
Enjoy a nice dinner and a good sleep before your final day tomorrow.
Day 7 in Aviemore
Pack your bags and have a full Scottish breakfast before your Scottish adventure finishes. You have one final morning to enjoy here, so why not spend it at the UK’s only open air museum – The Highland Folk Museum. It’s a great place to experience how people lived in the Scottish highlands over the years. They have various townships and Croft’s around the large site, which you can explore the quaint village life at your leisure. Entry is free, however donations are fantastic as it helps keep up the site maintenance.
Head back home or take a road trip to visit the rest of Scotland! Other options also include the islands, I suggest everyone visits at least one Scottish island. The Isle of Skye is lovely, but very busy with tourists, so why not try the Hebrides or one of the smaller isles like Gigha instead? There are plenty of whisky distilleries throughout Scotland, which you may also enjoy having a guided tour around. Another possibility is heading North to the North Coast 500 route, visiting Inverness (location of the famous Urquhart castle), the Moray Firth and ancient sites such as Clara Cairns and clearance villages. Or hire a tour guide to take you on another Scottish adventure around Loch Lomond and other famous Scottish locations.
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