Right in the heart of the Scottish Highlands lies, Aviemore, the gateway to the Cairngorm National Park. One of my favourite locations in the country of Scotland. If you are planning a trip, wanting to drive through or visiting for the holidays.
Perfect for a base camp, there is so much to see and do here if your an outdoorsy person like me, one day is just not enough! So let me walk you through some personal reccommendations and also provide some useful information for this wonderful place.
In a Rush? Here Are Our Favourite Hotels in Aviemore Scotland
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ravenscraig Guest House – Click here for rates & availability
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Coylumbridge Resort Hotel – Click here for rates & availability
⭐⭐⭐ Cairngorm Hotel – Click here for rates & availability
Having worked in hotels in the area, I grew to learn which places got the best feeback and which ones didn’t. As beautiful as the Highlands are, a lot of accomodation options can be hit/miss, due to increasing need of refurbishment, seasonal staff and alll the rest.
That said, I think the most important thing to take into consideration is location. If you are travelling without your own vehicle, accomodation that is easily by public transport is very important. Many hotels and guest houses can be deep in the suburban areas of these towns, difficult to get to. And there isn’t exactly a large demand for Uber drivers (I learnt the hard way the first time I arrived). You can also find a full view of activities and hike on another post here!
From my own experience, having the right place to stay in Aviemore makes such a difference, especially after a long day out exploring. Whether you’ve spent the day walking in the Cairngorms, visiting Loch Morlich or just having a wander around the village, there’s nothing better than getting back somewhere comfortable
What apps to download before visiting Aviemore
The obvious answer here is AllTrails. You have access to hiking reviews from recent visitors along with their personal photos. With hiking duration, distance, difficulty and offline navigation, I cannot sing AllTrails praises enough. You’ll have access to a public database with real time updates, community reviews and crowd-sourced information on trail conditions. Ensures a higher level of safety when navigating the Cairngorms.
Your preferred Met Office Weather Radar app, to stay ahead of potential rainfall, temperatures etc. Super important if you are planning to take part in activities that are heavily weather dependent.
I also recommend downloading the StageCoach app, which is the local bus service for regional areas in Scotland, to see bus timetables, routes and prices.
