Tourist Attractions
continued...
Nearby are the beautiful gardens and nature trails of the 15,000 acre Revack
Estate Tel: 01479 872807. Originally built in 1860 as a shooting lodge it is now open to the
public throughout the year. The estate has numerous gardens, nature trails, a
plant and garden centre, a restaurant and cafeteria, adventure playground and gift shop.
The Inshriach Alpine Plant Nursery, a few miles from Aviemore has
thousands of plants on display and specialises in alpines, rock plants, heathers and
gentians. The centre is open all year.
Malt Whisky Trail. 
Speyside malts are known throughout the world not
only for their distinctive tastes but also due to some of them being on the worlds only
Malt Whisky Trail. The distilleries concerned, namely The Glenlivet, Cardhu, Tamnavulin,
Glenfiddich, Tamdhu, Glenfarclas, Strathisla and Glen Grant provide guided tours that each
end with a free dram. A visit to the Speyside Cooperage completes the trail.
The Speyside Cooperage
Tel: 01340
871108 is the only one of its kind in Britain with a
visitor centre and again is open all year.
Tormore Distillery below, just a short drive from Grantown
There are a wide variety of Watersports to enjoy in the
area including river trips, canoeing, windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and rowing. All these
are available a short drive from Grantown-on-Spey.
Too cold for outdoor watersports? then visit the worlds most elaborate indoor water,
light and music spectacular at the Waltzing Waters Aqua Theatre. Open
from 1st February to 5th December with some extra festive openings.
The Ralia Centre is free of charge and is a European Union "Life
Programme" centre designed to promote the principles of sustainable development. Open
April to October.
The
Landmark Forest Heritage Park, a few miles from Grantown- on-Spey
offers "Tree Top Trails", timber trails, film shows, sawmills as well as
restaurants and shops. Open all year.
Visit the
Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig to see many of
Scotland's native species of animal. The park is open all year to view
wolves, red and roe deer, bison, pine martin, capercaillie, eagles, beaver, otter, arctic
fox, owls, wild przewalski's horses and even mouflon.
For anyone interested in the social history of the Highlands a visit to the Highlands
Folk Museum is a must. Based on two sites and covering 86 acres the centre
contain important collections, indoor and outdoor museums, furnished agricultural workers
crofts, a township and much more. Open May to the end of August.
Grantown-on-Spey was founded in 1765
by Sir James Grant, the local laird, who, due to his good deeds to the local people became
known as the "Good Sir James".Today, the town has plenty to offer for visitors
and residents in all seasons. In Winter it is handy for ski-ing and climbing in the nearby
Cairngorm Mountains. In Spring the arrival of fresh leaves on the trees is striking. Many
birds return from migration, and the forests become alive with bird-song. Salmon move in
the River Spey, and the anglers get hopeful. In the Summer many people enjoy the
countryside and adjacent woods which surround the town. The hills all around turn purple
as the heather blooms in late summer. Autumn brings the russet and gold of the beech
woodlands. At all times of the year the specialist local shops, restaurants and pubs and
sporting facilities of all kinds in and around the town give easy and pleasant
distractions. There are many tours that can be enjoyed, taking in historic buildings and
scenic areas, and the seaside is very close on the Moray Firth. See the dramatic West
Coast of Scotland, the Isle of Skye, Loch Ness, Royal Deeside - even Orkney.
