The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Embrace the wonders of a Scottish winter
THERE is something of the stolen fruit in being able to get away from it all at this time of the year, in the calm before the Christmas storm. But while many may seize the opportunity to head for warmer climes, there remains much to do for those wishing to stay closer to home.
The outdoor haven in and around Aviemore, in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, offers much for those who enjoy their breaks on the active side, even when temperatures hover icily around freezing.
Our base for exploring was the Macdondald Lochanhully Resort, a tidy collection of Scandinavian log cabins scattered around a small private lochan just outside Carrbridge, a short drive north of Aviemore. Less well-known than its sister venue, the sprawling Macdonald Aviemore Resort a few miles down the road, it offers a peaceful and cosy retreat from the rigours of the great outdoors.
There are opportunities to be active, from swimming and tennis to walks around its picturesque grounds at the resort. And there is a welcoming and competitivelypriced restaurant, which takes care of most culinary tastes. For those of a more adventurous bent, Lochanhully is within striking distance of Aviemore and just about every outdoor pursuit imaginable.
Aviemore has an ability to stretch the tourism season beyond the busy summer months and the skiing season. We visited in mid-November and had no shortage of options, albeit some attractions had understandably scaled back their operations given the time of year.
First was a trip to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig, near Kingussie. It is home to more than 200 animals, some native to Scotland, and others endangered species from more far flung parts of the world.
These include its ultra-cute Japanese Macaques or Snow Monkeys, who like nothing more than chopped up Swede for morning snack – and putting on a little bit of a show in the process.
The vast park combines a walking area, where within a short radius you can visit wolves, polar bears, red pandas and an Amur Tiger, with a much bigger reserve that can be explored by car or guided tour.
The next destination was Rothiemurchus Estate, 18,000 acres of rivers, rolling hills, forests and lochs – and home to the Hairy Coo Safari. Our informative guide took us through the history of Rothiemurchus (owned by the Grant family since the 16th century) and its work today as we explored the grounds by Land Rover. A chief attraction, as the tour title suggests, was the estate’s wonderful herd of cows, which includes 150 Highland cattle and between 150 and 200 cross-breeds.
Driving up to a high point, offering panoramic views of the Cairngorms, the guide stopped the Land Rover and up ambled a small herd of the magnificent beasts, eager to lap up their afternoon treat.
After feeding time, it was back in the Land Rover again for further discovery of the estate, skirting the Loch an Eilein (the loch of the island) en route to the next feeding post. This time to a herd of magnificent red deer, who came charging over the hill after hearing the low rumble of the vehicle’s engine.
Tired and elated, we returned to Lochanhully for a restorative pre-dinner swim. After a restful evening we were up bright and early the next day. To say I was nervous about zip sliding would be to under-estimate the anxiety I felt as we headed to the nearby Alvie Estate (not that I was letting on to my 12-year-old son, who was joining me in the enterprise).
However our instructor at Zip Trek Park could not have been more reassuring. Before long the boy and I were gleefully zipping along 14 wires high over rivers, rocks and ravines – the last wire a jawdropping 550-metre stretch that ended our 2km descent down through the forest.
It was an exhilarating and memorable way to bring a weekend of adventure to a close.