Local Information

Nestling alongside the River Spey, at the edge of the Cairngorms National Park, there is perhaps nowhere better than Aviemore to appreciate the magnificence of Scotland’s great outdoors.

Lochs, rivers, forests and mountains provide precious habitats for an abundance of wildlife, while the spectacular scenery and fresh air attracts visitors from across the country, ensuring Aviemore’s position as a year-round destination as well as a much-respected ski resort.

In recent years, Aviemore has gone from strength to strength, offering a diverse selection of shops, restaurants, and entertainment, with a range of amenities including excellent leisure facilities and a primary school.

At the heart of this thriving village is the setting of Bynack More, so called after the 3576-feet high prominent Munro in the Cairngorms.

Aviemore is only 40 minutes from the city of Inverness. The nearby villages of Kingussie (where secondary education is provided), Newtonmore, Carrbridge and Grantown-on-Spey offer an array of further attractions and facilities.

Transport

Distance to Inverness: 30 miles

Distance to Inverness Airport: 36 miles

Road

By car the route is via the A9 trunk road, which runs from Dunblane off the M9 and runs via Inverness, north to Wick.

Rail

Aviemore Railway Station, Grampian Road, Aviemore.

Scotrail provides a regular service from Aviemore on the Highland Main Line running from Edinburgh - Perth – Aviemore – Inverness

Bus

Stagecoach operates several local bus routes serving Aviemore.

Scottish Citylink also operates a regular service from Glasgow, which alights at Aviemore.

Education

Primary: Aviemore Primary School (pictured), Muirton, Aviemore.

A modern newly built school including 10 primary classrooms, two general purpose classrooms, a resources area and wrap around childcare facilities and nursery unit.

Secondary: Kingussie High School

Also nearby is Grantown Grammar School, Cromdale Road, Grantown-on-Spey.

There are a range of childcare options in Aviemore including day nurseries, nursery schools and classes, out of school care schemes, holiday schemes and pre-school playgroups.

Health

Doctors

Aviemore Medical Practice, which has recently relocated to the new Badenoch & Strathspey Community Hospital, Cairnview Road, Aviemore.

Hospital

Badenoch & Strathspey Community Hospital, Cairnview Road, Aviemore.

Raigmore Hospital, Old Perth Road, Inverness.

Dentists

There are three dental practices in the Aviemore and Kingussie area.

Aviemore and Kingussie Dental Practice, 34 Craig-na-Gower Avenue, Aviemore.

Gynack Street, Kingussie, Inverness-shire.

NHS Highland Dental Clinic, Badenoch & Strathspey Community Hospital, Aviemore

Leisure

Restaurants and bars

There are many places to eat and drink in Aviemore catering for all tastes.

These include fine Scottish restaurants, inns, cafes, hotels, as well as Indian and Italian restaurants.

Sports and Leisure

As Aviemore is situated in the heart of the Cairngorm Mountains and National Park, the sports, leisure and outdoor opportunities are endless all year round.

Skiing, snowboarding, climbing, mountaineering, hill walking and mountain biking are all available.

Loch Morlich is a perfect setting for canoeing and other watersports, as well as swimming in the summer. Rafting, river tubing, gorge swimming and walking, and outdoor canyoning are among the other outdoor pursuits available in the Aviemore area.

Aviemore land activities include horse-riding, high ropes courses, quad biking, segway riding, archery, paintballing, clay pigeon shooting, zip wiring and orienteering.

For the golf lover, there are 12 courses in the national park, of both 9 and 18 holes. The stunning Spey Valley Golf Course has been voted one of the best courses in Scotland.

There are also plenty of indoor leisure opportunities. Both Macdonald Aviemore Resort and Hilton Coylumbridge Hotel boast a swimming pool with slide, jacuzzi, gym and spa as well as soft play and parks to keep the children entertained.

A gym is also available as part of the community facilities at Aviemore Primary School.

Attractions

Local attractions within a short drive of Aviemore include Craggan Outdoors, Cairngorm Reindeer Centre, Cairngorm Brewery, the Fun House at Hilton Coylumbridge, Highland Wildlife Park, Highland Folk Museum, Landmark Forest Adventure Park, Rothiemurcas Estate and Strathspey Steam Railway. Another nearby world class attraction is The Malt Whisky Trail.

Wildlife watching is also a popular pastime as Aviemore and the surrounding national park boasts a wealth of wildlife including wildcats, capercaillie, squirrels, pine martens in the ancient forests. Ospreys, deer, badgers and golden eagles can also be spotted.

Shopping

A short walk from Bynack More is the brand new Aviemore Retail Park (pictured above), which offers Home Bargains, Aldi supermarket, Costa, Superdrug and Tiso.

The main street in Aviemore (pictured below) offers Tesco, chemists, Ashers Bakery, post office, banks, a local butcher, newspaper shop, electrical shop and hardware shop.

Other stores include a range of outdoor clothing shops from high street retailers to independent stores, gift shops and clothes shops.

There are also retail outlets at Macdonald Spey Valley Shopping.

The Highland capital of Inverness, a 40 minute drive away, is the nearest major shopping centre, offering a range of outlets from big name retailers to smaller independently run stores.