Posts for March, 2025

The 5th Braemar Mountain Festival returns from the Thursday 5th March – Sunday 9th March 2025.
4 days and over 40 events to choose from!
The festival kicks off with a torchlight procession following the Braemar pipe band to the iconic Games Centre Pavilion for a night of food, drink and music.
From Friday our programme of guided walks, ski, winter skills, mountain bike, wild swimming and trail running sessions commence across the weekend.
Accompanying the activity sessions are a range of workshops which include navigation, photography, star gazing and first aid.
Across the weekend we have a line up of amazing speakers covering a wide range of subjects. Look out for the book signings at some of the talks. Special mention goes to our headline mountaineering speakers – Anna Wells and Adri Brownlee. Adri is a 23year old woman who has climbed all fourteen 8000m peaks in the Himalayas. Only the second Brit to achieve this and the youngest female! Anna is an inspirational mountaineer who completed a winter round of the Munro’s last year.
Not forgetting our Saturday night ceilidh with live music from the Blaeberries and our Best of Kendal film night which wraps up the Festival on the Sunday evening.

Big news for all Peter Rabbit fans! The beloved character from Beatrix Potter’s classic tales is making a special appearance at Landmark Forest Adventure Park on April 5th and 6th, 2025! 🐰✨

Join us for a fun-filled weekend where you can:

📸 Meet & Greet with Peter Rabbit and capture unforgettable photos
🎨 Take part in fun-themed activities

Peter Rabbit will be appearing at intervals on each day, so don’t forget to bring your cameras! 📷
Meeting Peter Rabbit is included with regular park entry tickets. Don’t miss this magical experience!

🐰 We can’t wait to see you there!

🎟 Book your park tickets today! www.landmarkpark.co.uk

💐Treat your Mum this Mother’s day to an Afternoon Tea @ the Rothesay Rooms Sunday 30th March 💐

Reservations essential and spaces are limited, so reserve your table now!

To book, call us on 013397 53816 or drop us an email rothesayroomsbookings@baxterstorey.com or pop in, Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 4pm ⏰📧📞

Not able to make the Sunday? Our Afternoon Teas are served every Wednesday to Sunday 🌸 from 12pm – 2.30pm.

Or for the perfect gift, Vouchers are also available 💐

You could be a winner! 🏆

Think you’ve got what it takes to claim Strathspey’s BIG Quiz Night trophy? Gather your team, sharpen your wits, and join us for a fun-filled night of trivia, entertainment, and the chance to win £100 CASH!

📅 Friday 28 March | 19:30
📍 Boat of Garten Community Hall
🎓 Specialist round: Deshar Primary School – time to hit the books!

All funds raised go to Deshar Primary School & Nursery, so it’s all for a good cause.

Email Claire — claireclarkevents@gmail.com — to book your table! Tables are limited, so book now!

Boat of Garten will be rocking to the sounds of Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly & Elvis Presley, performed by three incredible artists and a high-energy live band.

Expect all the classic hits, from I Drove All Night to Oh Boy and Return to Sender. Can you resist dancing? We wouldn’t bet on it!

🌟 Featuring Marc Robinson from Stars in Their Eyes & Buddy – The Musical, bringing timeless hits like Heartbeat, Peggy Sue & True Love Ways to life.

📅 Friday 21st March
⏰ 7:30pm (Doors open 6:30pm)
📍 Boat of Garten Community Hall

🎟 Tickets still available: wegottickets.com

Don’t miss out—grab your tickets now and get ready to shake, rattle, and roll!

Returning for 2025 is our popular Bivvy Trek. We will once again be returning to Ben Macdui in what will be a unique experience on the UK’s second highest mountain.

This trek will start at 6pm (1800hrs) from the Cairngorm Mountain upper car park. This is slightly later than our usual treks with the idea we will reach the summit of Ben Macdui just before midnight, able to enjoy the late light of midsummer from the comfort of our bivvy bags. The following day we will have a relaxed morning with a cooked breakfast prepared by your guide, with a return journey via Loch Avon and a second Munro summit of Cairn Gorm.

A bivy adventure for us is all about feeling connected to the environment you wish to be in. Tents are great and offer a lot of comfort but once you close the doors you miss that immersive experience with what’s going on outside. Bivvying also avoids many of the issues surrounding pitching a tent, for example unsuitable ground or finding a large enough area to accommodate a group. You literally find the perfect spot, lay yourself down, watch the sunset or simply open your eyes throughout the night to gaze up at the sky.

Provided on this trek is a lightweight Bivvy (348 grams), cooking equipment, hot drinks and breakfast. We recommend you have a meal before setting off. Your guide will also provide and carry all safety gear including a large tarp for the group to sleep under if the weather is wet. All other equipment is to be provided by the client including sleeping bag and mat. This is a great introduction to minimalist wild-camping.

This lightweight 3 day trek in the Cairngorms includes 2 high wild camps and a more leisurely way of summiting the UK’s next 5 highest mountains, all over 4000 feet, after Ben Nevis – Ben Macdui, Braeriach, Carn Toul, Angels Peak and Cairn Gorm. Additionally there will be an option to summit the additional Munros of Devil’s Point and Carn a Mhaim. It will also give you plenty of time to fully absorb and appreciate the unique environments presented in the central Cairngorms.

Starting at the Sugarbowl our route will take us through the dramatic and narrow rocky pass of the Chalamain Gap before gently descending to the Lairig Ghru. We will then ascend into a true mountain environment over Sron na Lairig and our first summit of Braeriach (1296m 4250ft) followed by our first high camp near to the Wells of Dee [Source of the River Dee]. Once camp has been set up there should be opportunities to explore the stunning views westwards down to Loch Einich and eastwards across the dramatic corries down to the Lairig Ghru.

Day Two will take us around the edge of the vast An Garbh Coire and over Sgor an Lochain Uaine (Angels Peak: 1258m 4126 feet), above the hanging Loch Uaine, then steeply over Carn Toul (1291m 4234 feet) before crossing Stob Coire an t-Saighdeir before descending to the head of Coire Odhar. This should allow a quick ‘no pack’ ascent to the top of Bod an Deamhain (Devils Point: 1004m 3293 feet). Our route then takes us down past the world famous Corrour Bothy, across the River Dee and up the Tailleur Burn to our final camp on the shoulder of Carn a Mhiam. For the energetic, an evening packless walk along the ridge to the summit of Carn a Mhaim (1037m 3,401 feet), and back, will be offered.

Day Three leads us to the summit of Ben Macdui to the second highest mountain in Britain at 1309m (4293 feet). We will then meander ‘off track’ toward the atmospheric Feith Buidhe plateau region above Loch Avon with views down to the Shelter Stone area. The route will then take us over the northern crags above the Loch following a pathless, but easy ascent, to the popular summit of Cairn Gorm (1244m 4080 feet) before descending the less touristy Fiacaill a’ Choire Chais, and into the atmospheric enormity of Coire an t-Sneachda, before finishing our journey at the Cairngorm Mountain Ski Centre [Coire Cas].

This is a description of our intended route but it will be adapted as necessary in relation to weather conditions and the performance of the group.

Everything is provided – all food and wild-camping equipment.

This NOSAS seminar brings together speakers from across Scotland who will contribute to an understanding of the ways that the roof was supported in pre-improvement vernacular buildings in Scotland. Cruck-framed construction has been a traditional method of supporting the roof across Scotland. But there were areas of Scotland where there is no or little archaeological evidence of cruck-frames. What preceded crucks? And why were they superceded in the late 18th and early 19th centuries?

In the afternoon we will be guided round the constructed pre-improvement buildings at the Folk Museum by Bob Powell, who was a previous Principal Museums Officer at the museum.

Three years in the making, Riverwoods is a feature-length documentary that shines a light on the perilous state of Scotland’s salmon and tells the compelling story of an inextricable relationship between fish and forest.

Open to all.

Whether you are just starting out in the sport, or an experienced triathlete chasing a PB, this event will give you the chance to push yourself whilst experiencing some of the best views the Cairngorms has to offer.

Join us at Loch Insh Outdoor Centre on Sunday 22nd June 2025!

Registration will be open from 9:30am at Loch Insh Outdoor Centre, giving you plenty of time to set up your transition zone.

Fitnessat58° Founder, Sam Cairns will lead an event brief and warm up on Loch Insh beach at 11:45am, before the race begins at 12pm.

The race will start and finish is at Loch Insh Outdoor Centre. There will be vehicles available for you to leave your belongings during the race.

Car parking will be available at the Kincraig Shinty Pitch, next to the Loch Insh Outdoor Centre, just two minute walk from the car park to registration.

The Speyside Triathlon Distances:
1. 500m swim
2. 18km cycle – 70% gravel/forest tracks and 30% road
3. 10km run – 90% gravel/forest tracks and 10% road