Aviemore and the Cairngorms National Park is world renowned for its stunning scenery and abundance of nature and non-stop adventure. There is a plethora of activities and attractions available in the area, from castles, whisky and gin distilleries, wildlife watching, star gazing, Scottish history, mountain biking, hiking, climbing, skiing, golf, zip lining, quad biking, trail running, windsurfing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, sailing, wild swimming and fishing.
Without having to leave the vicinity of the Rowan Tree, you can watch nature on your doorstep. We have a resident stoat, who pops his head out from our drystone wall. From our garden swifts, swallows and house martins can be seen nesting under our eaves in summer and the buzz of bumble bees can be heard on our snowberry bushes and pine trees. The Rowan Tree has resident honey bees (away from the vicinity of the hotel) who appreciate all the flowers in the area. If you sit quietly on our terrace you may be fortunate enough to spot the Ospreys from the near-by wetlands or a red squirrel jumping around in the pine trees. We leave a large area of our garden dedicated to wildlife, which the insects thoroughly enjoy and it brings in the birds to feast on them.
If you fancy some wild swimming away from the crowds, Loch Alvie is a short stroll across the field. Slightly further afield are the famous and beautiful Loch Insh and Loch Morlich, where you can enjoy the tranquillity, plus test your balance with stand-up paddle boarding, or participate in other water sports, such as windsurfing, sailing and canoeing.
Short walks from the hotel include a stroll down to Loch Alvie, which can be turned into a longer walk up the stunning Monadhliath corbett, Geal-Charn Mor (about 4 hours) or up to Lochan Dubh and then onto Craigellachie Nature Reserve (2 hours) with beautiful views over Loch Alvie and Spey River. As well as Loch Alvie for a spot of bird watching, the wetlands behind the hotel, Bogach, are perfect for seeing Ospreys, grey herons and sandpipers. Heading in the direction of Lower Kinrara Estate and up to Torr Alvie, take in a spot of history with the Waterloo Cairn and the Duke of Gordon’s monument, which protrudes from Torr Alvie and can be seen from all over the area. A walk up Torr Alvie, will take you about 1 and a half hours.
We are lucky to have a hill walker’s paradise on our doorstep, with the Cairngorms National Park boasting over 50 Munros to choose from. A few of our favourites within easy reach of the hotel include Cairn Gorm, Ben Macdui (Britain’s 2nd highest mountain), Sgor Gaoith, A’Chailleach, and Braeriach to name just a few! All offer the opportunity to enjoy the wide-open spaces, truly stunning scenery and all that mother nature has to offer. We also welcome many guests setting out on the famous Lairig Ghru.
If you are keen to explore the local area without your car, then there is a beautiful circular walk or mountain bike of about 18 miles along the Speyside Way, towards Aviemore. Enjoy the unique sight of Loch an Eilein, with its beautiful still glass like waters and the 14th century mystical castle on the island. From here, you can make your way through Inshriach forest, past Jake’s Bothy which makes a lovely stop to enjoy a picnic (which we’ll be happy to prepare for you) and then on to Feshie Bridge. Here you can see the natural pools, take a refreshing dip in the fast flowing waters if you wish and then head on to Kincraig. The Boat House at Loch Insh and the Art House Café both provide an excellent refreshment stops, with beautiful views of Loch Insh. From Kincraig head back along the Speyside way, with stunning views over the Spey River, you might be lucky to see a grey heron. When you get to Torr Alvie and the Kinrara estate, head under the railway bridge and then follow the path alongside the road for a short but enchanting walk up to the Rowan Tree.
For a more challenging Mountain Bike, off the beaten path you can head up the Burma Road into the Mondhliath, towards Carrbridge from the hotel. It is a mixture of long climbs, awesome descents with some sections of flowy single track on the Carrbridge side. The route is about 27 miles and takes around 4 hours depending on your pace. An awesome opportunity to get into the countryside and enjoy some stunning views over the Cairngorms and you might even see some mountain hare. We can have ample bike storage here as well as bike washing facilities.
If natural history is on your agenda, then we are just along the road from the Highland Wildlife Park, which is a safari park and zoo, where you can see animals under conservation from local wildlife, the Scottish WildCat and from further afield, tigers and polar bears.
https://www.highlandwildlifepark.org.uk/
The Cairngorm’s also host the UK’s only wild reindeer herd at the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre
They offer daily visits up the hill to feed the deer or for a quicker visit they have deer and a plenty of information at the centre in Glenmore.
For the keen photographer, we have courses run by local photographers, such as Neil MacIntyre, Andy Howard, Pete Cairns, to name a few.
For the adventure seeker there are plenty of outdoor activities at Alvie Estate and Rothiemurchus. Including quad biking, archery, clay pigeon shooting, zip trekking, horse riding, fishing, canyoning, white water rafting, gorge walking and ski touring amongst may others.
No trip to the Highlands is complete without sampling some of our local drinks! Being in the Speyside area, we are blessed with many distilleries within easy access. The Snug in Aviemore features award winning Whisky from the famous Speyside distillery and the Dalwhinnie and Tomatin distilleries are within a short drive. The Kinrara distillery offering award winning gin is also a pleasant stroll from the hotel and well worth a visit. We feature over 50 whiskies and 30 gins to sample in our small but well stocked bar with most of them being from the local area. We also feature craft lager and beer from the Cairngorm brewery in Aviemore.
Local Activities
In summer or winter, the Aviemore area offers a variety of activities, with something to suit all tastes. The Rowan Tree is ideally situated, with our central location allowing easy access to everything that is going on.
In reception, we have a good selection of leaflets giving details on individual attractions, please feel free to browse, to help yourself to any leaflets that you want and, of course, to ask our advice.
Our aim is that you enjoy your stay with us to the full and we’re only pleased to help.
Walking, Climbing & Mountaineering
There are several walks and cycle rides directly from the hotel. The easiest stroll is to Loch Alvie, however you can also walk up Torr Alvie to the Duke of Gordon Monument, which takes about 1 1/2 hours.
The Speyside Way can be accessed from the hotel and you can walk all the way to the coast or take the Badenoch Way to Kingussie. You can choose the length of your walk; however, the path is easy terrain and also suitable for cycling. Also, from the hotel you can access the East Highland Way and walk all the way to Fort William!
For a more strenuous walk from the hotel try Geal-charn Mor, which passes through Lynwilg. The walk from the hotel will take you around 3 1/2-5 hours and will give you stunning views of Glen Feshie, Braeriach and Caringorm, plus Rothiemurcus forest.
In the area there are a good selection of Munros, Corbetts & Donalds, achievable in a day’s outing from the hotel such as Ben Mcdui and Braerich, which are the second and third highest mountains in Britain.
For those guests with less time, there is a whole host of very fine, lower level walks and forest trails taking you through some of the most marvellous scenery in Scotland.
There is a selection of walks, with impressive views accessible from the Cairngorm ski area car park with a café and shop open year-round.
Feel free to ask us for more information. Walkhighlands.co.uk is also a great source of walking information.
Skiing and Snowboarding
Just 20 minutes’ drive away, Cairngorm Mountain is Scotland’s premier ski area, with lift accessed riding. It’s also a great base for all winter activities.
Our location also means that you can easily get over to The Lecht Ski Area or down to The Nevis Range. Great options for a change of scenery.
Cairngorm Mountain and The Plateau
The Cairngorm Plateau is one of the UK’s finest wild places. It is our only Arctic Wilderness and is home to many rare plants & flowers. Cairngorm itself is the 5th highest mountain in the UK and the views from the top, on a clear day, are simply stunning.
The landscapes & habitats of the Mountain Range are unique and very fragile. As such they are, quite rightly, protected under European Law. If you are looking to get to the summit of Cairngorm Mountain or, perhaps, further afield, you’ll need to walk up the access path from the Base Station Car Park.
Watersports
Watersports are close at hand with Loch Insh Watersports just 10 minutes away, offering equipment hire and tuition for sailing, canoeing & windsurfing, together with kayak safaris on the River Spey.
Loch Morlich is a similar distance in the other direction, offering similar facilities, again in stunning surroundings.
Fishing
Some of Scotland’s renowned fishing, for Salmon, Trout & Pike is available locally on the River Spey and on various Lochs nearby. You can also have a great deal of fun at the Rothiemurchus Fishery just a few minutes away and you get to keep the trout that you catch – if you wish!!
Golf
Macdonald Aviemore Resort is home of the spectacular Spey Valley Championship Golf Course. It has been voted one of the best golf courses in Scotland, Spey Valley features some breathtaking views. There are also courses nearby in the Boat of Garten and Nethy Bridge.
Horse Riding
Alvie Stables just 10 minutes down the road or Rothiemurchus can arrange riding of all standards, from pony trekking for the relative novice to more challenging adventures for the more experienced rider.
Wildlife
We are surrounded by thousands of acres of moorland and forest, teeming with wildlife. You can see all sorts of animals, birds, plants & flowers, simply by going for walks in and around the area. Additionally, you can also see & learn a lot more by visiting one of the following operations.
Just down the road, south of Kincraig, is The Highland Wildlife Park. Here you can see a wonderful selection of Scottish wildlife, both the wildlife of the present and creatures that roamed the hills & glens hundreds, even thousands, of years ago and now extinct in the wild in Britain.
The Cairngorm National Park, home of the world-famous Ospreys, ask us for the best places to see these impressive birds. 10 minutes south of us is the Insh Marshes Nature Reserve, owned by the RSPB, one of the most important areas of flood plain wetland in Britain and is the wintering and breeding ground of large numbers of wetland birds.
The Reindeer Centre is just 10 minutes away, offering guided walks to see these wonderful animals.
History
The Highlands of Scotland and this area in particular are steeped in History, Myths & Legends. Within a short distance of the hotel there are lots of things you can experience for yourself.
For example: how Scottish people lived & worked in this area in the past, how great battles were fought – and won or lost, how the great Lairds lived, back then and how they live now and much, much more. Here is a small selection of the historic sites not so very far away.
The Highland Folk Museum at Newtonmore – Open in Spring, Summer and Autumn, discover the world of the Highlander, through the windows of time. Whole buildings have been reconstructed to allow you to really see how things were. There’s an interesting collection of artefacts & domestic objects and costumed interpreters bring the whole thing to life.
At Culloden Battlefield, the site of the last battle fought on British soil in 1746, the excellent exhibits give you a real insight into war as it was fought back then. It is a really special place.
Just up the road from Culloden is Cawdor Castle, which claims to be the “most romantic castle in Scotland”. Linked by Shakespeare to Macbeth, Cawdor lets you experience wealthy medieval living at first hand. Beautiful gardens surround the Castle, ideal for a gentle stroll.
For a taste of how the Lairds live today, visit Ballindalloch Castle, the family home of the MacPherson-Grants since 1546 and the home of the only Lady Laird in Scotland.