Posts for September, 2022

Our October SPOOKFEST is back…on the 8th to the 30th of October!

Enter Wonderwood if you dare…to see something truly creepy. Get your cameras at the ready, for some spooktacular photo opportunities.

Enter our Phant-astic Competitions this SPOOKFEST!

Glinda’s Golden Broom Competition:
Help Glinda the witch, find her golden broom which she has misplaced somewhere in Bamboozeleum- for a chance to win a- Day ticket for 4! She is a bit grumpy because it’s her favourite broom- you might want to steer clear of her as she is throwing anyone she can get her hands on, into her giant cauldron…o…ow something is brewing!

SPOOKFEST Photo Competition 2022:
Come dressed for the occasion and take a snapshot anywhere in the park. Send us your spooky photos on Landmark Park Facebook page or Instagram, to be in with a chance to win a ‘Day ticket for 4’

Spooky Make-Over at Foresters Marquee:

Dress up as your favourite creepy character in our scarily decorated marquee by the Forester’s Cafe. There will be plenty of costumes and props to choose from and a witchy scene for a photo opportunity! On the 22nd,23rd,29th and 30th – our fabulous face painter will be present to finish your look!

Don’t forget to grab a ‘Spooky Park map’ on arrival- to see where you might find all our eerie-sistible activities!

Legendary Foam Weekend:

That’s right, not one but two foam days will be held at the Wild Water Coaster on the last weekend of our SPOOKFEST which is the 29th and 30th of October!

This family favourite is a ‘must do’ if you are in the area but come early as ‘safety restrictions’ change throughout the day as the foam builds up.

Divine Magic at Dinosaur Kingdom:

This October on the 29th and 30th ONLY – look out for the large marquee in Dinosaur Kingdom for some magical fun. Our two magicians will be working on their spells and potions, spooky balloon making and mini magic shows, so pop on over to see what this mysterious pair are up to! Beware though – they might try to get you to sit in their electric chair…eek!

For more info on SPOOKFEST you can visit our Events page at www.landmarkpark.co.uk

The annual Cairngorm Ski Club Snowsports Equipment Sale offers snowsports fans an excellent opportunity to buy and sell second hand and new ski and snowboard equipment and clothing. Here you can find a wide range of competitively priced equipment to suit all budgets. Goods can be closely inspected and boots tried for fit with ski club members and coaches are available for advice.

We do not accept for sale old skinny skis, boots with obviously heavily worn toe and heel pieces nor skis with obviously broken edges, unrepaired full thickness base damage or very loose bindings. The sale, run entirely by volunteers, is on Saturday 12th November 2022 at Dalfaber Golf and Country Club, Aviemore PH22 1ST.

BUYERS

The sale takes place between 3:30pm and 5:30pm and a queue develops before doors open at 3:30pm. Entrance is 50 pence per adult and children are free.There is an opportunity to closely inspect goods but please do not hoard items you do not intend to buy. Ski Club members, the yellow vests, will be available for advice. Payment is by cash or cheque with only limited potential for bank transfer.In the past there has been a large queue to pay but an increased number of sales desks now means the queue moves quickly.

SELLERS

You can sell second hand and new ski and snowboard equipment and clothing and some try their luck with other outdoor gear. When deciding what to sell it’s worth asking yourself, “Would I buy this?” It’s not the Antique Road Show! Everyone who wishes to mount a pair of old skinny skis on a bar or bedroom wall already seems to have a pair, therefore we don’t accept “old skinny” skis. We also won’t accept boots with obviously heavily worn toe and heel pieces nor skis with obviously broken edges, unrepaired full thickness base damage or obviously very loose bindings, and a club member will quickly check equipment at check in. Other than these restrictions you can try your hand at selling anything as long as you pick it up if it’s not sold. If you are intending to sell more than 80 items please contact John, the organiser, by email (sale@cairngormskiclub.co.uk), to discuss in advance, otherwise we can’t guarantee to accept all the items on the day. Goods for sale should be dropped in between 9 am and 1:30 pm. Items are detailed, listed and tagged then placed on the sale floor by helpers. It costs £3.00 to enter each 20 items or less. The minimum price for goods is £6, less than this and we’ll accept the item as a donation.

Between 7:15 and 8:30 pm sellers can pick up their unsold items and collect their money. Changes introduced recently should ensure payout is quicker than before, and on arrival sellers will be given a list of their sold and unsold goods. Unsold items not picked up will be disposed of. 15% of sale price is retained by Cairngorm Ski Club to cover the cost of the sale and subsidise the club’s ski training programme.

Sellers can choose not to attend payout but have a bank transfer for the proceeds of sold items provided they are happy to donate unsold items to Cairngorm Ski Club.

DONATIONS

The club accepts donations of ski or snowboard equipment or clothing. These should be handed in between 9am and 1:30 pm. Donations are sold with all proceeds going to the club and if donations do not sell the club disposes of them. We reserve the right to decline donations we think are very unlikely to sell but will accept almost any equipment.

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

*Enjoy local, sustainable, tasty food like wild Cairngorms Connect Venison, at the free BBQ which will also celebrate other local, foraged and gathered produce. Full menu to be announced.

*Local musician Hamish Napier will be performing music from his award-winning album, The Woods, inspired by the beautiful Caledonian pine forest here in the Cairngorms.

*Discover new ways to incorporate local food into your everyday meals with simple and inspiring cooking demonstrations from Scottish food expert Catriona Frankiti.

*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.

*Learn how to identify edible plants, fruit and mushrooms growing wild with foraging expert Natasha from Gathering Nature.

*Meet Cairngorms Connect deer stalker, Jack, and find out all about the importance of deer management and the benefits of venison, for our health and our climate.

*Immerse yourself in the folklore and stories of the forest with Sarah from Strathspey Storywalks.

*All ages welcome: there will be plenty of family-friendly games, crafts and activities throughout the day – to be announced!

Hill to Grill is completely free and there is no need to book, but why not click ‘Going’ on our Facebook event so we can make sure we have enough burgers for everyone!

*An important part of Cairngorm Connect’s habitat restoration work involves controlling deer numbers in order to protect woodlands from the pressures of grazing. Cairngorms Connect Venison uses venison produced from necessary deer management to share the story of Scotland’s recovering forests. While supporting forest restoration, the project also enables local people and visitors to benefit by increasing access to local venison.

The DSUK Race the Train in association with Cairngorm Runners is back for 2022 and it is full steam ahead!

Join us in the 7Km trail run, to race to the finish against the Strathspey Railway steam train from Boat of Garten along the Speyside Way to Aviemore. Much of the race, especially the second half, runs by the railway track, if you hear the train coming you’d better stoke your engine and sprint for the finish!

Whether you have been a runner your whole life or just starting out, taking part in Race the Train for DSUK is a fantastic opportunity to test your progress while competing not only with your fellow runners, but with the traditional Highland steam train all while supporting Disability Snowsports UK.

The DSUK Race the Train event is a wonderful team-building event or an enjoyable challenge for the solo runner. It also promises to be a wonderful day out for spectators too, find a spot-on route and cheer the runners.

Come and join in the fun in our 1700s Township on Outlander day – back after 2 years! Come dressed as your favourite character and enjoy traditional skills/crafts with other fans in our Township.

Scalan was originally the site of a secret Roman Catholic seminary where priests, known as ‘heather priests’ were trained during the 1700s when Catholicism was prohibited.

Following the departure of the priests in 1799, Scalan reverted to a farm. Two steading buildings were built housing corn threshing mills which served the Glenlivet farming community. The threshing machines and water wheels are still in place along with a wealth of historical graffiti telling the story of farming life in the 19th and 20th centuries. A major project to conserve the mill buildings took place in 2019, restoring the waterwheel and lade in North Mill and improving visitor access to the site. This was funded through the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Landscape Partnership with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Join Glenlivet & Inveravon Heritage Ranger Lydia on a guided tour of the site and the mill buildings. You will learn about the history of the site and the mill buildings and we’ll touch on the history of illicit whisky distilling and smuggling too. In addition to being of historical interest, this area abounds with oystercatchers, curlews, and lapwings in the spring and summer months – be sure to bring your binoculars if you have them.

We will be meeting in the Carrachs car park at 1:00pm before proceeding by foot along a farm track, 1km from the car park at the end of the public road. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for changeable weather.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Toilet facilities are available during the summer months.

Well behaved dogs are welcome in the mill buildings, but are not permitted in the seminary. Please note that sheep and other livestock live on site.

How to get to the Carrachs car park:
Turn east off the B9008 at Auchnarrow (signposted for Scalan) and follow this road right to the end ensuring to follow sign for Chapeltown of Glenlivet. If you are using a navigation system, the postcode AB37 9JS will take you most of the way to Chapeltown of Glenlivet. Drive past Braeval Distillery and at the road end follow the 90-degree right hand turn which leads to the car park. This track is quite potholed and uneven in places so please proceed slowly and carefully.

Funded by Foundation Scotland from the Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.

Join Glenlivet & Inveravon Heritage Ranger Lydia for a talk on Pictish art and symbol stones. We will be looking at four Pictish Stones discovered in the churchyard of Inveraven, which has been a site of spiritual practice and pilgrimage for centuries. This tour will provide an overview to Pictish art and culture and will show how the Picts contributed to the shaping of modern Scotland.

Access to Inveraven Church is off the A95 about half a mile north the entrance to Ballindalloch Castle, and can be found by following the brown tourist sign directing visitors down the single track road to the Inveraven Pictish Stones.

Parking is available at the bottom of the drive before you arrive at the church or in front of the church building.

As we will be outside, please dress appropriately for changeable weather.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Well behaved dogs may attend but must be leashed.

Funded by Foundation Scotland from the Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.

Please note that toilet facilities are not available on site.

“Glenlivet it has castles three, Drumin, Blairfindy and Deskie”. This Heritage Ranger led castle walk will take us to the 16th century tower house of Blairfindy and begins outside the iconic Glenlivet Distillery. On the walk in we’ll enjoy fantastic views over the glen. You’ll learn a bit about Glenlivet’s rich history and some whisky history too.
Blairfindy Castle was completed in 1564 by John Gordon. In 1586 Blairfindy passed to the Earls of Huntly, another branch of the family, who used it as a hunting seat. A panel above the arched doorway bears the Gordon arms and this date. In its heyday Blairfindy was a fine example of a three storey L-plan tower house and even today shows a remarkable degree of preservation.

Research has shown that the castle was probably burned by troops after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and it was never repaired or occupied after this time. A project to stabilise Blairfindy Castle took place in 2019, funded through the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Landscape Partnership, a programme supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The castle is now open to visitors for the first time in decades and has been specially adapted to encourage nesting birds and pollinators.

Please park at the The Glenlivet Distillery car park. The walk will start from outside the stillhouse under the green signpost marked ‘Blairfindy Castle 1/2 mile , Smugglers Trails’.

Access is by foot along a dedicated track. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for changeable weather.

Toilets are available inside The Glenlivet Distillery Visitor Centre.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Well behaved dogs are welcome.

Funded by Foundation Scotland from the Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.

This imposing tower is reputed to have been built in the late 14th century for one of Scotland’s vilest men- Alexander Stewart, the Wolf of Badenoch. Drumin Castle is the earliest surviving tower house in Moray and stands on a commanding bluff that overlooks the confluence of the River Livet and the River Avon. This castle has recently re-opened to the public after masonry repairs.

Please park at the The Drumin Castle car park. This short circular walk will start from the Drumin Castle sign. Access is by foot along a pedestrian trail and will return by a set of steps. There is also a narrow set of stone stairs to climb from the ground floor to the first floor of the castle. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for changeable weather.

Toilets are not available on site.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Well behaved dogs are welcome.

Funded by Foundation Scotland from the Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.