SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING
The Cairngorm Mountain has the UK’s highest funicular railway from the carpark at Coire Cas to the Ptarmigan top station 1097m or 3598ft.
Skiing and snowboarding, guided walks, walks, wildlife mountain garden, camera obscura, Cas Bar, shopping, climbing, exhibitions, viewing terrace, Pharmigan Restaurant, educational visits, sledge park, ski and board hire, highland fling ceilidh nights, open all year!!
The Ski School
The Lecht Ski Centre near Tomintoul.
VISITOR CENTRES, MUSEUMS
Loch Garten RSPB Osprey Centre, as featured on the BBC’s Spring Watch television programme.
Landmark Forest Adventure Park – runaway timber train,wildwatercoaster, bamboozeleum, climbing wall, ropeworx, skydive, tree top trail, steam powered sawmill, working clydesdale horse, the fire tower (the tallest wooden tower in the UK) and shops and restaurant too.
Strathspey Steam Railway as featured in the drama series “Monarch of the Glen“.
WILDLIFE
Highland Wildlife Park home of the UK’s only polar bears walker and arktos, open all year except Christmas Day.
Speyside Wildlife where they have a heated hide which is more like a log cabin, also guided tours.
Cairngorm Reindeer Herd open all year except Christmas Day. Kids you know why, they were too busy helping Santa all night and need a well deserved rest!!
LOCH NESS
The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition
Jacobite Cruises and Tours to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle
WHISKEY AND BEER
Cairngorm Brewery Brewery tours and shop
Glengrant Distillery and Garden
Benromach Distillery and Malt Whiskey Centre
Glenfiddich Distillery free tours
Glenlivet Distillery free tours
The world famous Whiskey Castle with hundreds of varieties of the famous fire water.
Note, the list of distilleries above is by no means complete, some 80% of all Scotland’s malt whiskey is produced within 60 miles of The Boat House Guesthouse.
Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, 30th April – 4th May 2015
Festival Transport by Stagecoach North Scotland: Stagecoach buses is one of the Festival’s transport partners and will be running Routes 36 (Whisky Trail) and Routes 34 (Aviemore to Grantown on Spey – via Boat of Garten) as part of the Festival transport servies. Route 34 Bus Stop is right next to the Boathouse Guest House in Boat of Garten. By showing your Fesitval eTicket to the driver, day tickets can be purchased for £3.00. For timetabes and more information please go to www.stagecoachbus.com
ADVENTURE
Full On Adventure kayak touring, family rafting, nordic skiing, white water rafting, canyoning, mountain biking, canoe touring and sea kayaking.
Treezone Aerial Adventure Course
Quad Bike Treks Aviemore, open all year.
Craggan Outdoors, outdoor activities, golf, fishing, Clubhouse Cafe
Active Outdoor Pursuits Aviemore
GARDEN CENTRES ETC
The Speyside Heather Centre, Clootie Dumpling Cafe Gallery, Shop and Garden Centre.
Inshriach Nursery and The Potting Shed Tearoom
Revack Highland Estate near Grantown On Spey, open all year, Telephone: 01479 872234
CASTLES AND HISTORY
Urquhart Castle (Loch Ness)
Culloden Battlefield, Located 5 miles East of Inverness
ESTATES
Glenlivet Estate (The Crown Estate)
Rothiemurchus, Aviemore, there are lots to do, from walks, clay pigeon shooting, fishery, farm shop, gallery,cafe etc.
Mar Lodge Estate, open all year and is free, National Trust.
NATIONAL PARKS AND FOREST PARKS
Cairngorm National Park 6 of the 7 highest mountains in the UK and Scotland and a total of 43 Munros mountains over 3000ft and the Caingorm Platoux, the only area of the UK and Scotland classed as sub-arctic average annual temperature of less than 1 degree celcius.
Abernethy Forest national nature reserve, Britain’s largest natural forest where Loch Garten and the RSPB Osprey Centre are located, also the only place in the world you will see a Scottish Crossbill.
Craigellachie Forest National Nature Reserve.
Insh Marshes National Nature Reserve.
Glenmore Forest National Nature Reserve, a last strong hold for the red squirel in Scotland and the UK. Loch Morlich is also located here.
HORSE RIDING AND PONY TREKKING
Alvie Stables: Mobile Telephone: 07831 495 397
ACTIVITIES IN AND AROUND BOAT OF GARTEN
The Boat House Guesthouse is situated in the centre of the beautiful Village of Boat of Garten. This opens up a wide variety of activities and tourist attractions that everyone will enjoy.
There are many tourist attractions in and around Aviemore and the Cairngorms National Park, including the multiple whiskey distileries that can be visited, as well as the nature parks and reindeer parks. There is also the option of visiting the Strathspey Steam Railway, which opened in 1863 and with a chance to ride the train, this is a very popular place to visit during your stay.
Walking the Speyside Way
The Boat House Guesthouse is on the popular long distance walking route/path “The Speyside Way” which starts in Buckie and ends in Aviemore, passing through Ballindalloch and with an option of the cut in at Tomintoul, there are numerous whiskey distilleries along the way, as well as castles, golf courses and smoke houses.
The River Spey
The River Spey passes through the village here, it is one of the top salmon rivers in Scotland and also one of the best in Europe for sea trout and brown trout. A day ticket can be purchased from the Boat of Garten Post Office,as well as a week or season pass, they also stock bait too. The river also offers other activities such as kayacking,canoeing etc.
Skiing
We are 20-25 mins drive from Cairngorm Mountain and ski area and around 30 to 40 mins from the Lecht ski area. We very much welcome skiers and snowboarders staying at the Boat House Guesthouse.
Mountaineering
Mountaineers (munroe baggers) are very welcome here, 6 of the 7 highest peaks in Scotland are located on the northern side of the Cairngorms, climbers also come here to take on some of the many climbing routes within the Cairngorms and the northern corries.
Abernethy Forest Park
Located within a five minute drive of the Guesthouse, Abernethy Forest Park is one of the largest areas in Scotland of caledonian pine forest where wildlife is abundant with red squirrels, deer, capercally, pine martins and the elusive scottish wild cat amongst others.
Bird lovers/twitchers,will be pleased to know there are a large number of species in the area, including golden eagles, golden eyes, ospreys, crested tits, dottrell, snow bunting, ptarmigan, black grouse, capercaillie and the extremely rare Scottish crossbill which is only found in the Abernethy Forest and nowhere else in the world.