Aviemore, Scotland B&Bs

We LOVE Aviemore!!! But we always stayed at the Cairngorm Hotel. It is a small hotel across from the train station. Looks like a miniature castle! Their pub and restaurant serve the very best food! Aviemore makes a good base. We never had a car, but used the bus and trains. There are quite a few distilleries you can get to from there- the Dalwhinie one is great (and they make awesome whisky). Blair Castle is also a good short trip from Aviemore. There is a local microbrewery, too. They give tours and samples.

And be sure to take the steam train to see the Spey River valley. The funicular up the mountain is great too. If you want more 'outdoorsy' activities the Rothmurchie estate has canoeing, hiking, horseback riding, etc. The Heather Center has a good shop for nicer souvenirs. And I think there is a Reindeer preserve you can visit.

Thanks a lot, Toni, for all your great advice

I live about an hour or so away from Aviemore and cannot recommend anywhere to stay having had no need to do so. However the town is well geared up for tourists and finding somewhere should not be a problem. There are plenty of online reviews to be found.

I can recommend the Old Bridge Inn for a meal though and we have eaten there twice this year

www.oldbridgeinn.co.uk

also we have found the Mountain Café to be a good place for lunch or coffee and cakes

www.mountaincafe-aviemore.co.uk

The heather centre previously mentioned suffered a serious fire this year and is opening on a smaller scale for the moment

www.heathercentre.com

More information about the reindeer centre can be found here

www.cairngormreindeer.co.uk

Visiting the Strathspey Railway is great fun and some years ago was used as a filming location for the BBC television programme Monarch of the Glen. You can still see the sign for Glenbogle at Broomhill Station

www.strathspeyrailway.co.uk

Hope this helps.

Thanks very much. That was helpful.

I would also suggest Cairngorm Hotel. The food is fantastic. I must say that Aviemore was not my favorite town. It reminded me a little of Lake Tahoe. A ski resort without much charm.

Another person here who finds Aviemore to be tourist tacky - a real disappointment in a stunning area.

Instead, stay in the much nicer nearby Boat of Garten or Nethy Bridge. You don't state your budget, so check out Trip Advisor for the best recommended places.

Thanks very much. I was thinking $110 - 130 for a night. I'll check out he nearby locations you mentioned

You're not too far from 3 C's either; Cawdor Castle, Culloden and Clava Cairns. All should make nice day trips or perhaps pick up one of Inverness Tours day trips and see them that way. We're taking the Diana Gabaldon day tour for the latter two. And for a nice dinner, the Dores Inn at the head of Loch Ness. Sorry about the B&B question; our research led us to several options further afoot; Beach Cottage B&B on the Moray Forth and our current booking, Balachladaich B&B on the east shore of Loch Ness.

Thanks very much

If you haven't already booked, I stayed at Ravenscraig about 5 years ago. It was a lovely B&B, right in the middle of the town. Very convenient, clean, good food. I highly recommend it!

Thanks very much, everyone. We decided to stay in Ballater instead of Aviemore. Rick thinks it is a great home base.

You will enjoy Ballater. I stayed there a few years ago. You'll find that it is a great location for seeing castles and stone circles and even galleries. :)

Pam

I am always very pleased to hear of people who plan to stay in Ballater. It's just eight miles from where I live and I know it well.

It's likely that Rick Steves has told you all you need to know, but if there's any further help which you might need then please feel free to send me a private message.