Adventures in Scotland

A natural adventure in the Cairngorms National park

family adventures in the Cairngorms aimed at kids aged 5 – 12

Ascending Meall a’Bhucaille with 2 x 7 year olds and 1 x 4 year old.

Family adventures in the Cairngorms might not have the sea and golden beaches (we’ve only the one at Loch Morlich), but there is such a lot you can do with your kids here in the Cairngorms National Park, that some families return year after year.

Have a look at the various options we suggest below. We’ve picked a variety at a range of price points.

Guided family adventures in the Cairngorms

Taking a guided family adventure with Scot Mountain Holidays

Cairngorm Discovery – explore Britain’s largest National Park with our guidance. Enjoy some fabulous activities including some biking, some hiking and some more gentle creative pursuits like “throwing a pot” and creating your own wool at a small traditional mill.

Highland Family Adventure – for a full on introduction to the great outdoors. Enjoy some family time on hikes and wee bike rides throughout the Highlands. Visit Loch Ness. Enjoy the remote but spectacular scenery in Torridon. A mix of guided and self-guided activities for all the family to enjoy. Itinerary adaptable – call for personal quote.

Under Your Own Steam – best suited for the younger end of the age group, but routes can be adapted and lengthened to provide more of a challenge if your kids are keen cyclists.

Tailor-made Active Highland Tour – this area, the Cairngorms National Park, is the UK’s greatest outdoor playground. There is a lifetime of outdoor enjoyment here – on foot, by bike, gliding or canoeing. There should be something to suit everyone except the least active. It’s a great opportunity to get the kids outside enjoying nature. We can select from a massive range of activities and experiences to put together a tour to appeal to all the family from flying through the trees on a zip wire to outdoor treasure hunting or indoor pottery – there should be something for all – especially nature and wildlife lovers.

Free family adventures in the Cairngorms – use Fraoch Lodge as your base for a magnificent family adventure, just exploring the great outdoors

• geocaching – outdoor treasure hunting. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’ll be amazed how much it will help keep a walk interesting for the kids. Nothing like hide and seek to keep the kids entertained.
• hiking – this might meet with some initial resistance and a lot of “how much further” but if you can find a local walk with lots of interesting features and rewards (especially at the end), the kids will remain committed. Our own son is highly motivated by the opportunity to scramble along the way
• MTB/cycling (if you have your own bikes) – Try some of these routes – Reindeer centre to Inshriach, mountain biking centres – Glenlivet, Laggan & Learnie Red Rocks – among others.
• climbing
• bouldering (in the outdoors) – there are plenty of choices across Scotland. If there are low winds, you could try up on Cairngorm Mountain but for lower options, ask during your stay there are quite a few crags suitable for the kids to explore.
• foraging – summer is great for bilberries (blueberries), raspberries, mushrooms in the forest.
• bird spotting in Boat of Garten or Insh Marshes
• Highland Folk Museum – 20 minutes drive from Fraoch Lodge

Family mountain biking in the Cairngorms

Low cost family adventures in the Cairngorms

• canoeing on Loch Morlich
• visit the Osprey Centre at Loch Garten
• Highland Wildlife Park – in Kincraig. Go see the polar bears, snow leopards and Amur tigers among other animals. It’s quite a “wild” day out. Half the tour is by car
• Throw a pot at Loch an Eilean pottery
• Visit the reindeer centre (take a  guided hike to feed the reindeer or walk up yourself to see the reindeer, without feeding them)
• feed the red deer at Alvie Estate (December to March) and Rothiemurchus Estate
• ride the steam train from Aviemore to Broomhill – and hopefully shortly all the way to Grantown
• sheep dog demonstrations at Leault farm near Kincraig, less than 20 minutes from Fraoch Lodge

Visit the Cairngorm Reindeer herd in the natural environment (Cairngorms)

Other Outdoor adventures in the area

Zip wire – Treezone – River tubing – Gorge walking – Pony trekking – Landmark Forest Adventure Park – feed the deer – feed the reindeer ……

Contact us for full details or to include on your tour.

Chowing down in the Tentipi