Local Area, Newtonmore

We have clean water, clean air and beautiful scenery which gives us an enviable environment. This is complemented by an abundance of wildlife and a diversity of year round activities.

The area has been widely filmed by the BBC for the recent ”Monarch of the Glen” television series which gained many accolades for the stunning scenery.

Local Activities

There is a great choice of  of walks of all levels from gentle riverside and loch side trails to more serious proper mountain days. Also on offer are climbing, skiing, canoeing, sailing, wind surfing, horse riding, canyoning, gorge walking, river rafting, archery, paint balling, funyaking, shooting, fishing, off road driving, quad biking, Reindeer treks, wild life safaris, tennis, swimming and bowling. There is a relatively new Forestry Commission sponsored mountain bike centre just a short drive away, and Newtonmore is part of the national cycling network of designated cycle paths. For golfers there is an excellent 18 hole course in the village and several other courses just a short drive away. Team building events are also organised locally. Active outdoor pursuits is run from Newtonmore Tel: 01540 673 319

Local Visitor Attractions

With no shortage of visitor attactions such as the folk park, wild life park, woodland adventure park, castles, gardens, museums, distilleries, potteries, aqua theatre, estates with visitor facilities, funicular railway, cable cars, steam rail ways, dolphin and seal cruises, river cruises and much more, you will surely never run out of things to see and do.

Restuarants and Shops

There is an endless choice of great coffee shops, cafes, places to get a value for money bar meal and and even fine dining restaurants providing the best of Scottish fayre. The popular "Old Potting Shed" is a fantastic tea room, quite rustic but where you will get pretty fine bone china tea cups to drink from, probably the best cakes in Scotland and you will  also be able to watch the abundance of birds and squirrels on the feeders outside from the comfort of the viewing gallery. The Gaskmore Country House Hotel and the Letter Box restaurant are popular with our guests.

The area has  a good selection of colourful, quirky and top quality shopping experiences such as the larger  House of  Bruar and  MacDonalds Highland Shopping to the quaint Old School House at Rothiemurchus, the inspirational Something Different shop in Kingussie and the great little Harris Tweed shop in Newtonmore.

Loch Morlich           For: Great inland beach with wonderful backdrop of the ancient Caledonian pine forest and Cairngorm Mountains. Water sports (non motorised), with instruction available and marked walking trails.

Loch an Eilein            For: A very pictuesque walk around the loch on well defined tracks, which takes roughly 1 hour. Here you will see the much photographed 14th century castle ruin in the centre of the loch.

Fishing            For fishing on the famous River Spey local permits are available from several locations in Newtonmore. Loch fishing is available at Loch Insh by arrangement with the Loch Insh Water Sports Centre.

Canoeing             For Canoe trips down the River Spey, Active Sports of Newtonmore and Loch insh Watersports can arrange equipment, guiding and instruction if required. 

Mountain Biking    For mountain biking graded trails, the Forestry Commission sponsored WOLFTRAX centre offers miles of prepared trails, instruction and hire. At the Old School House, Rothiemurchus there is the opportunity to hire bikes and to collect trail maps for that region. There are several other places to hire in the area.

Walking           Newtonmore is the walking centre of Scotland and there is a huge selection of easy, low level and more challenging hill walks. Several Munros are accessable on foot from the village and there are many more with in a short drive.  The Wild Cat Trail is a 10km orbital path around the village, which passes the banks of the famous River Spey, the Calder Falls, Ault Laurie Falls, beautiful Glen Banchor and Craggan (a view point looking across the Village, the Spey Valley and the Feshie Hills beyond).

Skiing and Snowboarding. Newtonmore is roughly equidistant between the two largest ski resorts in Scotland making Balgowan House an ideal base to use either centre. The season usually lasts from December through to April but there ar sometimes excellent conditions as early as October. Last season was the best for many years and Cairngorm is on track for another great winter.   If you would like details of how to hire ski / snowboarding equipment, clothing, instruction and lift passes just contact us.

The Landmark Woodland Park at Carrbridge is a great day out for all of the family with climbing walls, airial ropeways, water slides, fantastic play areas, saw mill, tree top walk, picnic area, shop, restauraunt and more.

Blair Castle is the ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of  Atholl. The castle enjoys one of Scotlands finest settings and its history extends over some 740 years.  The castle is the most visited historic house and the home of the Athol Highlanders, Europe's only remaining private army. Packed with interest and activities for all of the familiy, Blair Castle offers a great family day out.

Enjoy great days out touring the Highlands on quiet roads and as Newtonnore is located virtually at the centre of Scotland there are so many options. How about a day out to the Islands of Mull and Iona , to Skye or a visit to Loch Ness, stopping at Inverness, the capital of the Highlands on the way back. A short day could take you to Rothiemurchus for a spot of fishing, river rafting or perhaps clay pigeon shooting, followed by a trip up to the top of Cairngorm Mountain on the funicular railway.

Also at Rothiemurchus are some great marked trails for walking or cycling (bike hire available), the old School House and its browsy shop and restaurant selling freshly cooked local produce. You might want to accompany one of the rangers when they go out on the hill to feed the Reindeer or relax in the Glenmore cafe watching the antics of the local squirrel population.

For sheer indulgence, The Old Potting Shed at Jack Drakes Alpine Nursery must have the best cakes in Scotland served with tea or coffee in quaint china cups. Here you can also enjoy watching the huge number of birds and squirrels that visit the feeders the owners put out out each day.

If none of this appeals to you how about a trip to watch the resident dolphins of Moray Firth, a walk up to a pictish fort perched on the top of a hill where you can picnic or just enjoy the fantastic views of the surrounding countryside. Experience the sounds and smells of the whisky distilling process and a wee dram at the end of a tour around one of the numerous distilleries in the area, or if wine is more to your liking sample the produce of the Moniak Winery at Beauly. Some of the most scenic steam railway journeys of the world can be acessed within a very short drive. If  you prefer boats to trains there is always the spectacular twice daily cruise down the Caledonian Canal to Loch Ness, which stops off at the famous Urquhart Castle .

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