Top Things to Do in the Cairngorms

3. Get familiar with the Spey

• The Spey is the river famous for fuelling one of Scotland’s most beloved whisky regions, Speyside. However, there is a lot more to the Spey than its role in whisky production.
• The river Spey runs for 107 miles from Loch Spey to the Moray Firth.
• Due to its length and volume, the Spey has a lot to offer to the passing-by waterbabies.
• You can canoe, raft, kayak, and even tube your way down sections.
• We prefer canoeing, to be honest, it gives you plenty of time to admire the various sights on the river banks.

Adventure Inspiration: Take on a new challenge and paddle the length of the Spey from Aviemore all the way to the sea on a true wilderness canoeing expedition. Along the way stop to taste the local whisky, admire the wildlife and set up your own camp. Want to take on the rapids of the Spey in an open canoe but less keen on camping? We also have a Spey descent with evenings in comfortable Highland accommodation, find out more here.

4. Toast the taste of the region

• Speyside is home to HALF of Scotland’s entire whisky production!
• So for the lovers of whisky, there are over 40 different distilleries in the Speyside area. A large number are open to visitors with daily tours and tastings.
• Distilleries that sit in the boundaries of the Cairngorms National Park, so a great wet weather alternative.
  • Royal Lochnagar Distillery
  • Dalwhinnie Distillery
  • Glenlivet Distillery
  • Balmenach Distillery
  • Tomintoul Distillery
  • Tamnavulin Distillery
  • The Speyside Distillery
  • Kinrara Distillery

5. Keep your eyes peeled for local wildlife

This is something that I remember being amazed about when I first moved to the Cairngorms.

My walk to work would involve sightings of at least 10 wild rabbits just walking out of the village. I also saw a deer calf scampering across the bicycle path and a mole once (exciting, my first time seeing one). My walk would often feature a bird of prey swooping overhead and to finish things off, my favourite wildlife encounter was two red squirrels having a violent spat between several trees.

Due to the variation of the landscape, the park is home to an abundance of interesting, rare and endangered species. Examples of this include the shy wildcat, pine martens, capercaillies, ospreys, deer and even reindeer!

• Spotting wildlife here can be as easy as paying a little bit of attention on a hike, but you can also go on a guided wildlife walk if it’s an absolute must-do activity.
• Some quick ways to get a guaranteed wildlife encounter include a visit to the Osprey Centre for a wander in the beautiful reserve.
• Alternatively, have a stroll along the Wild Cat Trail in Newtonmore, or even hand feed reindeer on a guided tour.
• The Highland Wildlife Park is part of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and plays an important part in the conservation of various species globally. Pay them a visit to meet a wolf pack, snow leopards, wild cats and a host of other incredible animals.
• Get yourself into a hide – a great example is a hide near Tomintoul, particularly good for spotting lapwing.
• Explore the mountain species of the Cairngorms on our incredible Scottish Highlands Wildlife Adventure.

Wolf cub at the Highland Wildlife Park

6. Indulge in cafe cuisine

The benefit of being a tourist destination and a beautiful place to live is the numerous high quality and boutique cafes popping up in the park.

As I’ve not been to every cafe and tried every scone I don’t feel the confidence to deliver a complete cafe review for the entire park (it’s rather big). Here are some favourites though to get you started.

• Us and many other residents of the park were heartbroken when the Mountain Cafe closed down at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was the absolute shining star of the cafe scene in the Cairngorms and what I imagined heaven may look like to a lot of people. I’m a little bit afraid to admit it in an office full of sweet-toothed cake lovers, but I’m not really that big a fan of cake. However, I think Mountain Cafe had made me rethink my position on cake altogether. Threatening to spill over the sides of the counter, the cake selection was vast, colourful and very varied. Muffins, cakes, bakes, brownies, squares, cookies and home-baked bread aplenty. Luckily the team at Mountain Cafe are ingenious and resilient and bounced back with a bakery pop-up in Grantown on Spey called KJ’s Bothy Bakery which sells the same delicious bakes! Be sure to check it out!
• The Druie in Rothiemurchus provides a reliable source of delicious scones and gluten-free brownies. More than anything, their savoury lunch options are of the more-ish kind that are perfect after a long hike out in the hills. The Druie embraces the best of the Scottish natural larder, frequently using locally sourced ingredients. The menu features venison, homemade bread and locally roasted coffee. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the cafe has moved outside to ‘the Barn’ next to the original cafe  – The Barn is a well ventilated indoor seating area where you can enjoy the usual goodies.
• The Bothy in Ballater is one that I remember from one of my ventures into the Cairngorms National Park before I moved here. I clearly remember being squeezed in the corner seat with my group of giggling girls. Them all tucking into their cakes and scones (with great delight) and me slurping away at my soup in cake-protest. The atmosphere was great, and the cafe cosy. This is definitely the place to go on a rainy morning whilst you are waiting for the weather to clear. The sister company the Bothy Braemar comes highly recommended as well (great views). Both have been open throughout the pandemic with take-away options, but both have also been closed when restrictions required them to be so it’s worth checking ahead of time, their Facebook pages are the best sources of up to date information.
• People travel far and wide and test their parking skills for the pizzas, focaccias and cinnamon doughnuts from the Kincraig Old Post Office & Gallery Cafe – an adorable art gallery and cafe which serves incredible food throughout the day with indoor and outdoor seating and also takeaway. If you’re in Kincraig anyways, be sure to check out the bakery bus Reviving Food -> the sourdough bread and artisan pastries are also worth travelling for.
• A lovely cafe, and beautifully located is the Tarmachan Cafe in Crathie. Everyone raves about the simple but delicious fare, especially the homemade bread. Perfect spot to refuel after a hike. Like many other cafes in the park, it’s worth checking their opening hours and service levels during the pandemic ahead of time.
• A local favourite, Nethy House in Nethybridge serves delicious cakes and hot drinks and caters equally to savoury and sweet lovers, with also plenty of options for vegans and the gluten-free. Check their Facebook page for opening hours.
• The Carriage – Cafe, Tearoom & Bistro in Ballater is worth a visit for the atmosphere alone, although it helps that they serve scrumptious lunches too. The cafe serves seasonal soups and sandwiches, and you can get an unforgettable champagne afternoon tea experience in the traditional tea room.
• Not a cafe – but worth a mention and the best place to get a delicious and fancy pub lunch in Braemar is the Flying Stag Bar inside the Fife Arms Hotel. The interior design is spectacular and the bar has a great ambience, a favourite with locals and hotel residents alike.

7. “How it’s Made” Highland Edition

Rain happens and it’s not always great to go out in it, so here are some indoor things to do in the Cairngorms.

If you are with kids or have seen enough of distilleries, why not try The Speyside Cooperage? I actually cannot stress enough how surprisingly interesting and fun the Cooperage is. The tour above the factory floor is noisy but it’s great being able to watch the skilled craftsmen at work. The tour also includes a 4D video presentation which is guaranteed to delight. Also, be open-minded to a bruised ego when you are given a chance to put together a little barrel yourself.

• Like the idea of a more hands-on experience? Wooden Tom offers woodworking courses. If you are willing to dedicate the time and money, you can learn how to carve your own spoons or make your own rustic furniture or even your own quaich. 
• The Cairngorm Brewery offers tours during the week and some on the weekends. Although the tour is short (the brewery is small…) you do get to taste a lot of different beers, ales and ciders.
• Not to miss either is Cambus o’May Creamery – where you can watch highland cheese being made, interesting and delicious!

Discover our range of trips that visit the Cairngorms and Central Highlands