Posts for August, 2024

Join Cairngorms Connect and friends for a day celebrating and exploring local forests and enjoying delicious local food.

We are excited to welcome you to our free outdoor festival celebrating local forests and sustainable local food. We’ve got a whole host of exciting activities planned for people of all ages and abilities, from guided walks to cooking demonstrations.

*Learn about the importance of deer management to restore local forests while enjoying a free BBQ with wild Cairngorms Connect Venison and other local, foraged, and gathered produce.
*Meet a local butcher who will teach us about preparing different cuts of venison and what they are best used for.
*Get hands on and help make Goldeneye Duck nesting boxes.
*Discover new ways to incorporate local food into your everyday meals with simple and inspiring cooking demonstrations from Scottish food expert Catriona Frankitti.
*Explore nearby Dell Woods on a guided walk with woodland and wildlife experts from NatureScot and learn more about how our local forests are managed to provide benefits for people and nature.
*Immerse yourself in the folklore and stories of the forest with Sarah from Strathspey Storywalks.
*Join in the many family-friendly games, crafts and activities throughout the day.
*And more to be announced soon!

Hill to Grill is an outdoor event, taking place in tents and on the Playing Field behind Nethy Community Centre, so please dress appropriately.

The event area is accessible for wheelchair users and buggies, but the grassy ground could be a little rough in places so please take care.

Put your hands in the air if you’re ready for the Boppin’ Bairns Family Rave! Join us at The Vault, Aviemore for an afternoon of massive tunes and family raving fun. Get ready to throw some shapes with your little ones in a safe and lively environment, with bubbles, balloons and more fun surprises for the kids with a licensed bar for you adults – Drink responsibly! Our resident DJs will be spinning everything from Disco to Drum & Bass and are guaranteed to have everyone on their feet… unless they’re in a sling, of course!

Full info and tickets over on eventbrite.co.uk

Whether you’re already a fungi fanatic or the only mushrooms you’ve ever encountered come from the grocery store, this low-key class will aim help you to feel more confident in your ability to see and identify different varieties of edible and medicinal mushrooms out in the wild. The emphasis will be on fungi, but we will also cover similarly helpful plants and tree species that are out and about during the Autumn. Location details will be sent out before the event but we will be based in one of the forests close to Grantown-on-Spey.

This course welcomes people with all levels of experience (including none at all!) with foraging and/or mushrooms.

Your instructor will be local forager Victoria Beall, who has spent years fascinated by fungi and preparing them into fun and creative meals, pickles, tinctures, and even candy. In addition to foraging, Victoria serves as a board member for Rhyze Mushrooms, an urban mushroom farm based in Edinburgh.

Selected by Angels, Shared with Friends – Join us for a complimentary in store tasting of Angels’ Nectar Scotch Whisky on the 26th of August at the Aviemore Gift Company.
On taste will be our Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Original, Angels’ Nectar Single Malt Scotch Whisky Oloroso Sherry Cask Edition 46% and the Angels’ Nectar Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cairngorms 4th Edition.

Paddington™ is Coming to Landmark Forest Adventure Park – get ready for a beary special treat!

On September 14 and 15, everyone’s favourite marmalade-loving bear, Paddington, will be making a special appearance at Landmark Forest Adventure Park.

Join us for a weekend filled with fun and adventure as Paddington delights visitors with his charming antics and heartwarming presence at intervals on each day. Whether you’re young or young at heart, this is a perfect opportunity to meet Paddington, snap some memorable photos, and create unforgettable memories.

Event Highlights:
• Meet and Greet: Come and meet Paddington and get the chance to give him a big bear hug!
• Photo Opportunities: Capture the magic of the moment with photo ops that you can cherish forever.

Location: Dinosaur Kingdom at Landmark Forest Adventure Park

Don’t miss out on this enchanting event. Plan your visit now and get ready for a wonderful adventure with Paddington. We can’t wait to see you there!

Lots of childrens activities, a 5 km run, BBQ, tea, coffee and cakes with a book stall…

Join our guide Sue Sykes for a guided stroll around Dell Woods at Nethy Bridge, a short 10 – 15 minute drive from the Hotel. Possible sightings include Blue, Coal, Crested, Great and Long Tailed Tits, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Crossbill, Goldcrest, Robin, Siskin, Treecreeper, Wren, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Goshawk, Buzzard, Song Thrush, Red Squirrel, Roe Deer.

Meet our wildlife guide Sue Sykes for a guided stroll around Loch Garten and Loch Mallachie looking for some of our local and iconic wildlife. Possible sightings include Blue, Crested, Great and Long Tailed Tits, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Crossbill, Goldcrest, Robin, Siskin, Treecreeper, Wren, Blackbird, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard, Red Squirrel, Roe Deer and Goldeneye.

Join our wildlife guide Richard Thaxton for a guided stroll from the Hotel through Anagach Woods looking for some of our local and iconic wildlife. Possible sightings include Blue, Coal, Crested, Great and Long Tailed Tits, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Crossbill, Goldcrest, Robin, Siskin, Treecreeper, Wren, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Buzzard, Red Squirrel and Roe Deer.

Meet our local wildlife guide Richard Thaxton at Strathdearn (Findhorn Valley) to look for some of the raptors and other wildlife that can be found there. Potential sightings include raptors such as Buzzard, Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Goshawk, Hen Harrier, Kestrel, Merlin, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine Raven and Red Kite but also Crossbills, Dipper, Goosander, Grey Heron, Pied and Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Mistle and Song Thrush, Red Grouse, Red-legged Partridge, Common Gulls, Redpoll and Oystercatcher, Curlew, Lapwing, Mountain and Brown Hare, Red Deer, Wild Goats, Red Squirrel.