Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
30min; 45min); Forres (every 30min; 25min); Inverness (up
to 3/hr; 45min).
Bike rental Bikes are available from Bike and Buggy at 6a
Falconers Lane (Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat
9.30am-4pm; T 01667 455416, W bikeandbuggy.co.uk)
for £15/day.
INFORMATION
Tourist information There's a tourist information point
within the Nairn Community & Arts Centre on King Street
(Mon-Thurs
8.30am-5pm, Sun 9am-1pm & 5-9pm; T 01667 453476,
W nairncommunitycentre.co.uk). Their handy “Welcome to
Nairn” map is worth picking up.
8.30am-10pm,
Fri
8.30am-late,
Sat
ACCOMMODATION
Boath House In the village of Auldearn, two miles east
of Nairn T 01667 454896, W boath-house.com. The
most luxurious place to stay in the area, this is a fine
Georgian country house set in mag nifice nt gardens, with
its own Michelin-starred restaurant. £265
Cawdor House 7 Cawdor Street T 01667 455855,
W cawdorhousenairn.co.uk. A bright and attractive B&B,
conveniently located between the train station and the
main shopping street. Goo d ch oice of breakfasts, with
vegetarians well catered for. £82
11
EATING AND DRINKING
Boath House At Boath House T 01667 454896.
Mouthwatering, pricey, Michelin-starred cooking that draws
upon organic produce and regional dairy, fish and meat
suppliers. For an affordable taste of such luxury, book a
lunchtime table (three courses for £30). Note that there is only
one sitting for dinner. Daily: 12.30pm-1.15pm & 7.30pm.
The Classroom 1 Cawdor St T 01667 455999. Nairn's
most popular bar/restaurant, serving tasty light bites,
lunches and dinners. Try the house salad with sun-blushed
tomatoes and chargrilled chicken (£7.50). Mon-Sat
10am-late, Sun 11am-late.
Strathspey
he richly forested area around the River Spey's upper reaches - STRATHSPEY - is a
magnet for outdoors enthusiasts. Of Strathspey's scattered settlements, Aviemore
absorbs the largest number of visitors, particularly in midwinter when it
metamorphoses into the UK's busiest ski resort. he village struggles to reflect the
charm of its surrounding area, but it's a good first stop for information, to sort out
somewhere to stay or to find out about nearby outdoor activities, which are likely to
seem very enticing after a glimpse of the soaring Cairngorms mountain range or the
Glenmore Forest Park, a protected area that's home to one of Scotland's last remaining
tracts of ancient Caledonian pinewood.
For summer visitors who'd rather avoid Aviemore, the planned Georgian town of
Grantown-on-Spey makes a good alternative base. Further upriver, the sedate villages
of Newtonmore and Kingussie are older-established holiday centres, more popular
with anglers and grouse hunters than canoeists and climbers. he whole area boasts
a wide choice of good-quality accommodation, particularly in the budget market,
with various easy-going hostels run by and for outdoor enthusiasts.
Aviemore and around
he once-sleepy village of AVIEMORE was first developed as a ski and tourism resort in
the mid-1960s and, over the years, fell victim to profiteering developers with scant
regard for the needs of the local community. Despite recent attempts to turn things
around, it remains a soulless hotchpotch of retail outlets, café-bars and characterless
housing developments. hat said, Aviemore is undeniably well equipped with services
and facilities and is the most convenient base for the Cairngorms.
In summer, the main activities around Aviemore are walking (see p.424) and
watersports , and there are great opportunities for pony trekking and fly-fishing (for the
latter, the Aviemore tourist o ce provides a brochure outlining which permits you'll need).
 
 
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