Activities

Winter Sports

The past 3 seasons have seen winter sports return with vengeance with bumper falls of snow and crisp winter wonderland scenery.
The Dell sits almost equidistance between the Cairngorm Ski area and the Lecht, each offering slightly different experiences. Glenshee, Glencoe and the Nevis Range are also within easy travelling distance.  www.cairngorms-park.com
Aviemore serves up a great après-ski scene with steamy gluhwein and tartiflette available at the Old Bridge Inn
For those keen to stay on the flat, summer forest paths are transformed into a network of wonderful cross-country skiing routes. Many can be accessed from your door at the Dell with some of the best cut paths in the area found at Glenmore and around Loch Morlich.
There is also Ice-climbing in the corries of Braeriach and the brilliant Cairngorm Sleddog Adventure Centre for husky safaris.

Watersports

From white water rafting, canyoning and river tubing to a serene sea kayak in search of the Moray Firth dolphins we recommend, of the many adventure specialists, Full on Adventure based out of Aviemore. www.fullonadventure.co.uk/ Professional, passionate and good value.
Loch Morlich and Loch Insh, both around 30 minutes drive from the Dell offer sailing, windsurfing and kayaking equipment and instruction.
Fishing can be arranged on a wonderful private stretch of the Spey and if needed equipment hire, practice and instruction can be sought at several stocked fisheries nearby.
During really the optimum warmth of summer months one cannot better a fresh, wild swim in the lochans. There are some incredible and very secret swimming holes we can point out.

Adventure

Dramatic mountain scenery provide the backdrop and endless woodland paths the base, for some of the best mountain biking in the country.
From the door at the Dell, Abernethy Forest leads up onto the Ryvoan Pass and down to Loch Morlich, one of the many brilliant tracks in the area.
Wolftrax at Laggan, near Newtonmore is a mountain biking park of different downhill tracks to suit all abilities and adrenaline levels, from sheer rock face drop-offs to meandering wooden paths through the Strathmashie Forest. BaseCamp hire bikes on site and also from their shop in Grantown. Other good bike hire places are based in Boat of Garten www.cairngormbikeandhike.co.uk and at Rothiemurchus www.bothybikes.co.uk.

Rothiemurchus Estate www.rothiemurchus-activities.co.uk is a nodal point for independent well-run activities. In particular, Highland Venture run Quad Bike treks daily and 4X4 off road driving. www.highlandventure.co.uk
There is also pony trekking with beautiful Highland Ponies, Archery and Clay Pigeon Shooting.
If you’re in search of something a little challenging, a new operation in the area specialises in wilderness survival and the art of bushcraft. Courses are really well run, informative and offer a chance to get back to your roots, giving the confidence that you will in fact survive if caught out in the rain without your Mars Bar. www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk

The Arts

The Old Bridge Inn in Aviemore is fast becoming the centre for contemporary live music for the whole area. A consistently high standard and diverse mix of new music set within a great atmosphere with wonderful grub. Together with Gordon, one of the owners of the Old Bridge and Walter of Inshriach we also form Backwoods Productions, which is a small events company that throws together the Insider Festival. The Insider has built an enviable reputation for its amazing musical collaborations and its eclectic and intelligent line up. Set in the gardens and grounds of the Inshriach estate with 30 acres of camping alongside the river Spey shared by just 750 people, this coming June’s Insider Olympiad will be a sporting garden party adventure of epic proportions.

www.insiderfestival.com

Pitlochry Theatre , about an hours drive south from here, puts together some great productions, www.pitlochry.org.uk Quite possible for a day trip, perhaps catch a matinee and have a walk at the Hermitage, just a little further south, on the way home.

Eden Court Theatre in Inverness hosts a strong and diverse programme of theatre, music and they also have a lovely art house cinema www.eden-court.co.uk
Hootananny’s or upstairs in the tiny Market Bar are also great for live music on most evenings.

At Loch an Eilein, Rothiemurchus there is a beautiful little art gallery looking out over the loch. Open through the summer til the end of October this gallery focuses on local talent linking in with the Creative Cairngorms group.
Just at the turn off to Loch an Eileen there is also the Aviemore Gallery, which has a large selection of art and crafts.
A 10 minute drive along the B970 towards Grantown and you will come across the Nethy Bridge Pottery showroom and workshop in an old converted barn. Beautiful glazes on hand thrown pots provide a good quality souvenir from the area.

Walking

Together with all that is on the doorstep, the Cairngorm National Park is home to the most extensive range of high mountains and largest ancient Caledonian pinewoods in the U.K
We provide a directory of very local walks in your cottage. There is also a ranger service located in the village hall, which runs Explore Abernethy a network of 45km of marked woodland paths.
Walk Highlands www.walkhighlands.co.uk is a brilliant website with downloadable routes and loads of information.

Historical

The Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore is an absolute must for a keyhole into the areas past. The original cooking range from the Dell is on display here in amongst an enormous collection covering agriculture, craft and industry, the highland home and sports. The museum is free and do allow yourself most of the day to explore.

The Strathspey Steam Railway is a great 20 mile round trip from Aviemore, through Boat of Garten and onto Broomhill Station which is just a couple of miles outside of Nethybridge. Treat yourself to afternoon tea, Sunday lunch or a supper with tinkling crockery at a wonderful pace as you pass through the moor lands and woodlands of the Spey Valley. The Santa Express through December is a hit with the whole family, with mince pies, mulled wine and of course a long bearded passanger. www.strathspeyrailway.co.uk

Two of our favourite castles to visit are both situated not far from the north coast. The first, Cawdor Castle lies across the Dava Moor, which in itself is a spectacular, wild drive. Take a left at the fork towards Nairn and follow the signs from there. Cawdor is a fairy-tale castle but also a splendid home to the Cawdor Family filled to the rafters with Shakespearian history and classically tended gardens.

Heading east along the Banff coast, do drop into Auldearn Antiques, a treasure trove of architectural salvage, fur coats, linens and stunning furniture.

Onward, to the secret and almost hidden remains of Findlater Castle, perched on the cliffs, a few miles west of Banff itself. There have been records of a castle here since 1246 but the current remains, modelled on Roslyn dates back to the end of the 14th century.
Staircases into the turf open out into great chambers with arched windows and drop fifty feet to the North Sea below.

Kids

The Dell gardens and immediate surroundings give great adventures for the young and young at heart. Tree climbing and den building, guddling for fish and squirrel spotting, not to mention the great Dell Easter Egg hunt.

Bikes can be hired locally (see adventure) and the safe network of tracks that run from the doorstep of the Dell provide a maze of adventures.

Further afield you are literally spoilt for choice for activities that all the family can enjoy.
Treezone is a dizzying wonderland of tight-ropes, zip wires and balance beams high up in the Caledonian Pines, near Rothiemurchus. This is a really well run and confidence boosting afternoons fun. www.treezone.co.uk

G2, another adrenaline fuelled specialist have just installed a kilometre of ziplines running through the forest in Alvie. It’s always going to be fun particularly if you get a crisp autumn day to zip through. www.g2outdoor.co.uk.

Landmark www.landmarkpark.co.uk  A Forest Adventure Park in Carrbridge cleverly matches educational activities with adrenalin-fuelled fun. Established in the 80’s it has grown to accommodate a great selection of attractions, all based around the woodlands.