Things To Do

Things to do in and around Boat of Garten and Aviemore

Boat of Garten, a peaceful Highland village, is set amongst heather clad hills and native woodland. Abundant wildlife, magnificent scenery, many sporting and leisure activities and a traditional Highland welcome await you. Play the superb 18-hole golf course or fish the Spey. Unique bird watching opportunities abound; tranquil woods and dramatic hillsides to walk, climb or ski. Cycle on excellent tracks and quiet roads or travel on a scenic steam railway. Ideally located lying adjacent to the mighty River Spey in the Cairngorms National Park, Boat of Garten lies in an area of outstanding natural beauty, centrally located in the Highlands of Scotland. The perfect place from which to explore the Highlands or simply unwind.

Boat of Garten offers two very good restaurants, Andersons and the Boat Hotel. Both are located in the centre of the village within easy walking distance. The Boat of Garten Post Office and M & B Stores are well stocked shops located in the heart of the village.

For more information see the Boat of Garten community website

Dalfaber Leisure Club

Dalfaber Leisure Club membership is included for 4 adults and 4 kids. Club amenities include a 9 hole golf course, swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, gym and kids play area free Wi-Fi access and bar/restaurant.

Landmark Forest Theme Park

Bird Watching

Boat of Garten is known as the Osprey Village – it was here that these magnificent birds were reintroduced in the fifties. Ospreys can now be seen nesting at the RSPB Osprey centre at Loch Garten, hunting over the local lochs and along the River Spey. A wide variety of other birds live on the water, including grey heron, golden eye, kingfisher, oyster catcher, slavonian grebe, tufted duck, merganser, dipper, divers, geese, swans and many more – all to be found within a kilometre of the village. There is a hide at Milton Loch on the northern edge of the village from which many of these birds can be seen. The local pine forests are home to many other species.

including grey heron, golden eye, kingfisher, oyster catcher, slavonian grebe, tufted duck, merganser, dipper, divers, geese, swans and many more – all to be found within a kilometre of the village. There is a hide at Milton Loch on the northern edge of the village from which many of these birds can be seen. The local pine forests are home to many other species.

For more information on local bird watching see the Boat of Garten community website

Fishing

The River Spey runs along the edge of the village and there is a choice of beats available. The Abernethy Angling Improvement Association offer over six miles on both banks of fishing on this famous river. Just up stream from the village is Kinchurdy Salmon fishings who offer their waters as double bank fishings in two beats. Each beat will allow up to five people to fish and the Strathspey Estate provides a full time Ghillie. Daily and weekly fishing permits are available through the Boat of Garten post office. There is no fishing on Sundays.

Cycling

There are many cycling tracks and routes available in and around the village and cycle hire is available in Boat of Garten both at M & B stores and at the Cairngorm Bike and Hire shop

Golf

There are a number of nearby golf courses, the nearest being Boat of Garten’s own golf course, an 18 hole 70 par course.

The Boat of Garten golf course is internationally renowned for its scenery. It was designed by golf course architect James Braid and has been described as the ‘Gleneagles of the North’. The club’s PGA professional, Ross Harrower runs an excellent golf shop as well as offering tuition. There are also two tennis courts available at the club. There are golf clubs provided for use by Woodland Lodge guests.

Other courses nearby are Grantown, Carrbridge, Abernethy and the new Championship course in Aviemore.

Skiing

Be it any season or weather, the mountains that make up the Cairngorms National Park offer exhilarating sporting opportunities. With some of the best snow holding records in Scotland, Cairngorm Mountain has all you would expect from a modern ski area, from lessons and equipment hire to the UK’s highest restaurant and bar. For up to date weather and ski conditions visit the Cairngorm Mountain website.

There is also good Ski-ing at the Lecht www.lecht.co.uk

Strathspey Steam Railway

You might like to embark upon a scenic journey by steam train to Boat of Garten and then on to Broomhill (the station used as Glenbogle in the TV series “Monarch of the Glen”. The Strathspey Railway Company operates nostalgic trips between the two villages from March to October and through the festive season. The Company is housed in the recently-refurbished Aviemore mainline railway station, a charming Victorian building typical of its epoch. Individuals, couples, families or indeed larger groups will enjoy the experience and whether you require a light snack or lunch, their new catering service is there to serve your needs.

Wider afield

Other attractions in the Aviemore area include:

The Rothimurchus Estate in Inverdruie offers a range of outdoor activities.

The Highland Wildlife Park at Kinguisse provides an opportunity to discover Scottish wildlife and endangered animals of the world’s mountains and tundra.

G2 Outdoor offer outdoor activities throughout the year, including the family friendly zipwire park.