Saturday 27th November 2010 - Skiing and Boarding Conditions in the Cairngorms National Park

Glenshee Ski and Snowboard centre - -Dink Dink Poma, Plastic Slope Poma, Sunnyside Poma 1, Sunnyside Poma 2 All expected to open.  Sunnyside has good cover with fresh powdery snow. The Dink dink is running for beginners. Saturday weather - Snow showers at first but these will die out to leave a mainly dry day with bright intervals Winds will be light Easterly.

Lecht Ski and Snowboard Centre - ACCESS ROAD CURRENTLY BLOCKED new snow on all runs. Eagle, Osprey, Grouse, Robin, Wren and Buzzard complete good cover of new snow. They hope to be open for snow sports and should we get the access roads open. Please check with the centre before setting off.

Cairngorm Mountain Ski and Snowboard Centre – SNOW CLEARING WILL BE REQUIRED BEFORE OPENING. 6-8 cm of fresh over night is giving excellent skiing and boarding, 8 inches of powdery drifted snow across the Cas side, White Lady & M1.  The Lady and M1 are offering great sport but care is required as rocks are lurking under the fresh snow. M2 and Day Lodge pistes have awesome powder if you can see where you are going!!  Ptarmigan Tow, M1 Poma and the train for uplift Saturday Weather Northerly 15-25mph. Clusters of heavy snow showers at times constant for 2-h hours. Varied cloud cover. Visibility poor in snow showers. Temp @900m -6C.

For Piste Maps, booking accommodation and other info check - www.cairngorms-park.com/activities/Winter-Sports/

More New Year and Christmas Deals in the Cairngorms National Park

We have more Cairngorms-Park festive deal for you. Below are some more of the deals and offers till to be had in the Cairngorms National Park over the Christmas and New-year holidays.  For more information check our deals widget on our home page www.Cairngorms-Park.com.

Holiday Lodges @ Old Faskally

Short breaks are available for min 4 nights, 2 person from £300 and £400 respectively, and 4 person from £350 and £450.

 

Cluny Mains in Laggan

5 day break at Christmas now just £865 !!!"

 

The Shelter Stone, Aviemore Village

Christmas at The Shelter Stone......must depart Dec 30th so can offer 7 nights accommodation between the 19th - 30th Dec for £1500 or short breaks at £350 per night..min 3 nights over Christmas period.

This price is for 12 people and includes all heating, electricity, bedlinen and towels.

 

Inshriach House near Aviemore luxury house

Christmas or New Year, up to 17 people, one week £3500

 

Loch Kinord Hotel

Relax, unwind and get away from the hustle and bustle - enjoy the peace, tranquility and beauty of Royal Deeside at Loch Kinord Hotel,

Christmas Breaks 2010

3 nights dinner bed and breakfast including Christmas Lunch

and light evening buffet on the 25th.

Standard room £255 per person ● Superior Room £275 per person

2 night package £175 standard ● 2 night superior £195

4th night free B&B if taking 4 course dinner in restaurant.

New Year Breaks 2010-11

nights dinner bed and breakfast including a Champagne

dinner, Piper and Scottish music featuring the fantastic voice

of Pandy Arthur and fireworks at midnight on the 31st.

Standard room £295 per person ● Superior Room £325 per person

2 night standard room £200 ● 2 night superior £225

4th night free B&B if taking 4 course dinner in restaurant

 

Applegrove Cottage, Boat Of Garten.

Sleeps 4. Centre of village. Large garden. Available 21st to 28th December. £400.

 

Broomieknowe Cottage, Dulnain bridge.

Sleeps 4. Edge of village. Available 31st December on. £400.

 

Glencanisp, 190 Grampian Road, Aviemore.

Available over the Christmas period, Wednesday 22nd  to Tuesday 28th.

Deals starting from £550 for 3 night stay within these dates. Extra nights at £150 per night.

Festive Deals in the Cairngorms National Park

For some festive fun, why not book a holiday in the Cairngorms National Park. Not sure where to go? Well look no further, we have some great deals, from luxury Hotel breaks to Self-catering wood lodges 7 nights stays. We have deals for wine and dine breaks in Royal Deeside Green Inn, or 4 Star houses in Aviemore where you can take advantage of the great early snow conditions.  Below are some of the deals and offers till to be had in the Cairngorms National Park over the Christmas and New-year holidays.  For more information check our deals widget on our home page www.Cairngorms-Park.com.

Crerar Craiglynne Hotel, Grantown on Spey

25th November - 22nd December

27th December - 29th December

Twin/Double £59.00 bed and breakfast per room, per night

Single £34.50 bed and breakfast

23rd December x 4 nights Festive break £199.00pp dinner bed and breakfast

30th December x 3 nights New Year Break £249.00 Dinner bed and breakfast + hogmanay entertainment

3 Knocks Cottages – Christmas Special

We have 18th-27th December available at 3 Knocks Cottages. We can be flexible according to requirements within that period.

Tigh na Coille, a self catering for 6 people in Nethybridge available Christmas and New Year

Due to a cancellation, we have Tigh na Coille, a self catering for 6 in Nethybridge available for both Christmas and New Year at the moment. Christmas week price is £600, New Year week is £700. These prices include all linen, towels, electricity and a bottle of bubbly to help celebrate the festive season.

Culdearn House -Grantown on Spey

3 day Christmas Break - £430.00 per person inclusive of everything except drinks. - one room left

New Year break - 2 nights - £350.00 pp inclusive. Lots of space at the moment.

Coire Mor Holiday Home in Kingussie near Aviemore

Coire Mor Holiday Home in Kingussie have some weekend lets available -

Self catering accommodation for 12 people Weekend lets from £350

Schoolhouse, Ballater Royal Deeside

New Year - Due to a cancellation, Schoolhouse is available for hire for your New Year gathering! 2 nights minimum stay - a magical self catering venue for your family/group of up to 20 people  contact us for best price

Winter deals  Dates - 30 Nov - 31 March ( excluding New Year period)  Stay 1 night and get second night at half price  Stay 2 nights and get third night free Great discounts on stays of more than 3 nights

Craigvrack Hotel in Highland Perthshire still has New-year and Christmas Breaks on Offer –

December breaks -

Minimum 2 night stay B&B £70.00 per person to 23 December 2010

New year package

Minimum 3 night stay B&B PLUS included is our “Hogmanay Hoolie” - buffet dinner, bubbly, piper & entertainment with “Tapsalteerie” a traditional Scottish folk band.

Only £195.00 per person

Winter Blues offer

3 nights for the price of 2 from 3 Jan – 31 Mar 2011

£40.00 per night

The Green Inn Ballater, Royal Deeside 

The Green Inn Ballater, is offering a special 5 course tasting menu throughout December and we have one table for 4/6 available for Hogmanay.

Self-catering Aviemore Village, Cairngorms Close to the slopes

20th to 27th December available at 140 & 101 Dalnabay at a cost of £600 for the week.

Ericht Lodges Highland Perthshire Close to Glenshee Skiing

We do have availability for Christmas week 21st Dec to 28th Dec lodges from £330 details on our website. Ericht Holiday Lodges ~ Gateway to Glenshee and Cairngorm National Park

Kinnaird Self-catering Killiecrankie

Kinnaird Woodland Lodges, Pitlochry.  Christmas, Twixtmas and New Year breaks still available.  We are now accepting short breaks - see web site for full details.

Kinnaird House, Pitlochry.  Christmas, Twixtmas and New Year breaks still available.  We are now accepting short breaks - see web site for full details.

Old Stables, Highland Perthshire

Alyth - Romantic Breaks from £65.00 per per night  Based on 2 people sharing & minimum of 2 nights until early Feb 2011 Excl. Christmas & New Year.

Enjoy a romantic two night break for two from only £65.00 per night in our Superior Four poster  room with en-suite spa bath, shower cubicle etc. Bring your own wine. Glasses & wine bucket available.

Ski Special Offer Alyth, 30 mins to Glenshee. Self catering - Lairdie Lows Steading. Special Offer due to cancellation. Sleeps up to four. Two persons 2 nights. £99.00. Additional £10.00pppn for 3rd / 4th person. Available Christmas and New Year £80.00 per night. Min 3 nights.

Aspen Lodge, Nethy Bridge

Great value short breaks now available. See website for details

Lochan Mor Lodge, Aviemore.

Special Offer, take £100 off the week web price and £50 off the Short Break price on any remaining 2010 availability.

Highland Folk Museum Newtonmore, Nr Aviemore

Newtonmore is home to the Highland Folk Museum which has just won an award for the “Best Visitor Experience” in Scotland.  All the entries throughout Scotland were assessed on layout, content, and interaction between visitors and staff.  The Highland Folk Museum excelled in all areas.  The museum is a one-mile long, 80-acre living history site.  Situated in the Cairngorm National Park, the site offers a combination of farmland, woodland, and open areas.  It portrays 200 years of Highland rural life, from the 1700s to the mid-1900s.  Collections on the site include several thousand agricultural items, as agriculture was the very basis for most Highland life; two thousand domestic items ranging from cooking to laundry, heating and lighting, and house furniture; a crafts, trades, and industries collection; applied arts, including silver and jewellery; textiles and costumes, which include tartan and hand-woven blankets; sports and pastimes, particularly shinty; archives and photographs; and the buildings themselves, which are a main part of the exhibit.  The museum runs all kinds of interpretation and activity programs, and also houses a shop, a café, picnic areas, and a playground.  This is an ideal day out for the family and a chance to get a real feel for the history of the Scottish Highlands.  Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy an award-winning Highland attraction.  Visit goo.gl/ywAwy  for more information.

THE Cairngorm ski centre is being urged to use profits from a record season to pay back a £1 million loan from taxpayers.

 

The resort announced last week that a prolonged and lucrative winter helped it return a profit of £736,031 for the year ending 31 March, 2010, compared with a loss of £42,728 in the previous financial year.

 

The company said it now plans to invest in year-round facilities to help it counter the threat climate change poses to the industry.

 

But a conservation group believes it should put the money towards the loan given by Highland Council to help CairnGorm Mountain Ltd (CML), the resort operators, overcome previous financial difficulties.

 

The ski season kicks off in Scotland

The Cairngorm Mountain Ski resort plan to open this weekend for snow sports. Check www.cairngormmountain.co.uk for more info. The other two resorts in the Park the Lecht and Glenshee will remain closed for now.

 

Mercedes the polar bear was joined in her enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie by her new companion Walker.

The 23-month-old bear moved to the park from Holland earlier this month, but the pair had previously only seen each other through a mesh fence.

Keepers wanted the two bears to get to know each other gradually before being put in the same enclosure.

Enchanted Castle Royal Deeside

Experience an enchanting evening in beautiful Royal Deeside featuring a stunning display of light and sound installations and trails at one of Scotland's most popular visitor attractions. Crathes Castle, its award winning walled garden and estate will be transformed for three nights only into a winter wonderland with cutting edge light and sound technology creating stunning choreographed effects, moods and backdrops that will appeal to all age groups.

www.theenchantedcastle.info

This evening walk will be combined with a host of enchanted themed attractions and events including;     Storytelling sessions for children and adults, Fire breathers and jugglers, Childrens Enchanted craft activities with Arting Around, Royal Deeside Larder-Food Producers Marquee, The Magic Zone, Crathes Christmas Shop, Fantastic Prize Competition with Carlton RS... plus many more

Tickets are available in advance only, as tickets will not be on sale at the event. Please note that entrance to these events are on a first come first basis. Timings are indicated on the signs which you will see on arrival.
The Enchanted Castle is a sequel event following the sell out success of the Enchanted Glen which took place in 2008 at the GlenTanar Estate in Aboyne.

The Enchanted Castle is an evening event open on 10th, 11th and 12th December from 5.00pm until 10.00pm. Depending if you take part in some of the events listed and how quickly you want to walk round the average duration at the Enchanted Castle should be at least two hours but please feel free to stay with us until closing time. Please note that Crathes Castle and estate will be open to the public through the day as normal but will close at 4pm.  In order that visitors have an enjoyable experience only a limited amount of tickets have been made available for each evening and once these tickets are sold out no further allocation will be made available.

Tickets can be purchased in advance only from Aberdeen Box Office, Union Street, Aberdeen. Tel 01224 641122 or www.boxofficeaberdeen.com - Saturday Evening Sold Out

For more info..

Keep it local

CAIRNGORMS National Park Authority will tomorrow decide whether to grant planning permission to two work camps associated with the construction of the controversial Beauly-Denny power line.

Balfour Beattie Utility Solutions has applied for consent for temporary compounds at Dalwhinnie and Spey Dam, Laggan, close to the proposed 400kV overhead line route. The Dalwhinnie development will be the main compound for the route’s central section from Fort Augustus to Tummel, while the Spey Dam site will be a satellite compound.

Permission is being sought for five years, initially.


Why don't they use local accommodation providers?

Polar Pairs at Kincaig

A young male polar bear being brought to Scotland will be part of a park's future plans to breed the animals. Walker is due to arrive at the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig from Rhenen Zoo on Friday. The site in the Cairngorms Park is already home to Mercedes, a female too old to be included in the proposals to raise cubs. Mercedes is the only polar bear in the UK. An extension has been added to her enclosure so the two animals can be managed separately before later getting access to the same area.

Walker will eventually be moved to a new enclosure. The current polar bear enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park spans four acres and has a natural pool and tundra-like environment. In preparation for Walker’s arrival, a specially designed natural extension has been added to the enclosure, which will allow keepers to initially manage Walker and Mercedes separately. The bears will be gradually introduced to each other with a view to them living together, with both having permanent access to the whole facility.

Although polar bears are generally solitary animals that are happy being alone, they have an excellent memory. Mercedes has been with other bears before so we are expecting the introduction to go fairly smoothly. Walker will not reach sexual maturity for at least another three years so should present no threat to Mercedes – being a teenager he will no doubt have a cheeky side, but we expect him to see Mercedes as a mother figure having been recently separated from his own mother. In the future, Walker will be moved to a new enclosure on the other side of the park and will be our future breeding male.

Some great Cairngorms National Park images take by Bill Lockhart

When one thinks of Scotland, one usually conjures up thoughts of mountains and barren terrain, hills filled with bracken and heather.  But there is another Scotland, still preserved in a few forests.  The country is now trying to restore the once prolific forests that disappeared when occupied by settlers.  What a joy it was to find this forest along the edges of Loch An Eilein.  Just knowing that some of these old trees are more than 400 years old touched me.  I could feel them in the mist – speaking to my heart and uplifting my soul.

http://www.bill.lockharts.com/blog/a-walk-through-an-enchanted-forest/

What's on Aviemore and Cairngorms November

For your Eco E copy paste check out the whats on Cairngorms Park.

Monday 1st November
 Festive Entertainment - Carrbridge Hotel. Christmas 4-course meal from 6-7.30pm, £15/£7.50. Entertainment with Alfie from 8.30pm.

Tuesday 2nd November
 Charity Race Night - Carrbridge Hotel. Includes 3-course meal from 6-7.30pm, £15 - 1st race starts 8.30pm.

Wednesday 3rd
 Murder Mystery Dinner Dance - Carrbridge Hotel. Dinner 6-7.30pm followed by live entertainment. £15/£7.50.
 Kincraig Winter Talk - Cairngorm Christian Centre, Kincraig. The future of red squirrels by Juliet Robinson. In aid of Kiwoko Hospital in Uganda. 7.30pm. Free, donations welcome.

Thursday 4th
 Ceilidh Night & Highland Feast - Carrbridge Hotel. Highland dancers, Scottish country dancers & ceilidh band. Buffet from 7pm, stovies at 10pm, £15/£7.50.
 Creative Cafe: Book Binding Workshop - Abernethy Parish Church Hall, Nethy Bridge. Ladies night out with homebaking & hot drinks & create a gift book in our Book Binding workshop. 7-8.30pm, £5, T: 01479 821512.

Friday 5th
 Fireworks Display - War Memorial Field, Kincraig. Fireworks display, bonfire, BBQ & raffle. 6.15pm. FREE.
 Guy Fawkes Night with Fireworks - Cairngorms Hotel, Aviemore. Fireworks, BBQ & gluhwein. 7.30pm.

Saturday 6th
 Inflatable Fun Factory - Macdonald Aviemore Resort. 4-8pm, £5 over 5s, £3 under 5s, adults FREE with children.
 Fireworks Display - Macdonald Aviemore Resort. Display by the award winning Blast Design. 6pm. FREE.
 Galliard Wind Ensemble - Boat of Garten Community Hall. Presented by The Osprey Music Society. 7.30pm, £14/£12/£5/£2. For tickets T: 01479 831213.    
 Aviemore Ceilidh Dance - Aviemore Village Hall. Ceilidh Dance to Archie MacPhee. 8pm - midnight, £4.
 Live Music - Royal British Legion, Grantown-on-Spey. Live music with Alan Kingsland, 9.30pm.
 Guest DJ Gary Beck - The Vault Nightclub, Aviemore, 10.30pm-3am.

Sunday 7th
 Goose Roost-Watch - Loch Garten Osprey Centre Car Park. Come well wrapped up to await the arrival of up to 1,000 greylag geese. 4-5pm. FREE. T: 01479 821409
 Silver Screen Cinema Cafe - Ord Ban Restaurant Cafe, Rothiemurchus. Showing Genevieve, £10 including popcorn & ice-cream at interval. 7.30pm, T: 01479 810725.
 Karaoke - Cairngorm Hotel, Aviemore. 9.30pm

Monday 8th
 Winter Illustrated Talk with Elizabeth Carmichael - Boat of Garten Community Hall. I met a traveller from an antique land... Gods, kings, ritual & religion in ancient Egypt. 7.30pm, £4.50.

Saturday 13th
 Cairngorm Ski Clubs Snow Sports Equipment Sale - Dalfaber Golf & Country Club, Aviemore. 9am-2pm goods in, £2 per sheet of goods. Sale 3.30-5.30pm. Unsold goods must be collected by 8.30pm, 15% commission to CSC. £1/50p. T: 01463 731343 www.cairngormskiclub.co.uk
 Church of Scotland Christmas Fair & Coffee Morning - Talla nan Ròs, Kingussie. 10am-12.30pm.
 Cairngorms Farmers Market - Grantown Primary School, Grantown-on-Spey. 10am-3pm.

www.cairngorms-farmers-market.com
 Football Match - Seafield Park, Grantown-on-Spey. Strathspey Thistle v Inverurie Loco Works, 3pm.
 Step-Dancing Workshops & Displays - Talla nan Ròs, Kingussie. Step Dance Workshop, as featured on DVD, with Dannsas Caroline Reagh and Sandra Robertson 34pm. FREE. To book T: 0797 1231238 or E: lyn@lynmcnicolpr.co.uk
 Live Music - Royal British Legion, Grantown-on-Spey. Live music with Alfie, 9.30pm.

Sunday 14th
 Goose Roost-Watch - Loch Garten Osprey Centre Car Park. Come well wrapped up to await the arrival of up to 1,000 greylag geese. 4-5pm. FREE. T: 01479 821409
 Silver Screen Cinema Cafe - Ord Ban Restaurant Cafe, Rothiemurchus. Showing Pretty Woman, £10 including popcorn & ice-cream at interval. 7.30pm, T: 01479 810725.

Monday 15th
 Festive Entertainment - Carrbridge Hotel. Christmas 4-course meal from 6-7.30pm, £15/£7.50. Entertainment with Alfie from 8.30pm.
 Winter Lecture with Chris Carter - Grantown Museum, Grantown-on-Spey. The Silk Road, 7.30pm, £3.50.

Tuesday 16th
 Charity Race Night - Carrbridge Hotel. Includes 3-course meal from 6-7.30pm, £15 - 1st race starts 8.30pm.

Wednesday 17th
 Murder Mystery Dinner Dance - Carrbridge Hotel. Dinner 6-7.30pm followed by live entertainment. £15/£7.50.
 Badenoch Gardening Club - Newtonmore Lesser Hall. Mandy Mullender demonstrates ideas for 'Winter Floral Arrangements'. 7.30pm, non-members £2.50.

Thursday 18th
 Ceilidh Night & Highland Feast - Carrbridge Hotel. Highland dancers, Scottish country dancers & ceilidh band. Buffet from 7pm, stovies at 10pm, £15/£7.50.
 Creative Cafe: Felting Workshop - Abernethy Parish Church Hall, Nethy Bridge. Ladies night out with home baking & hot drinks & create a Christmas gift in our Felting workshop. 7-8.30pm, £5, T: 01479 821512.

Friday 19th
 Children in Need Fundraiser - Dalfaber Golf & Country Club, Aviemore. Disco, fun & games, 7-11pm.

Saturday 20th
 Live Music - Royal British Legion, Grantown-on-Spey. Live music with Alan Kingsland, 9.30pm.

Sunday 21st
 Kids Workshop - Talla Nan Ros, Kingussie. Refreshements available. Children's activities including making jewellery & cards, painting bird feeders & learning circus skills. 11am-4pm.
 Silver Screen Cinema Cafe - Ord Ban Restaurant Cafe, Rothiemurchus. Showing A Hard Days Night, £10 including popcorn & ice-cream at interval. 7.30pm, T: 01479 810725.

Monday 22nd
 Penny Auction - Cairngorm Hotel, Aviemore. In aid of the Aviemore Floral Fund. Viewing of auction items from 4pm. Auction from 8pm. T: 01479 810233.
 Festive Entertainment - Carrbridge Hotel. Christmas 4-course meal from 6-7.30pm, £15/£7.50. Entertainment with Alfie from 8.30pm.
 Winter Illustrated Talk with Fiona Young - Boat of Garten Community Hall. Accept no limits: Why shouldnt a wheelchair be at the top of a mountain?, 7.30pm, £4.50.

Tuesday 23rd
 Charity Race Night - Carrbridge Hotel. Includes 3-course meal from 6-7.30pm, £15 - 1st race starts 8.30pm.


Wednesday 24th
 Murder Mystery Dinner Dance - Carrbridge Hotel. Dinner 6-7.30pm followed by live entertainment. £15/£7.50.

Thursday 25th
 Ceilidh Night & Highland Feast - Carrbridge Hotel. Highland dancers, Scottish country dancers & ceilidh band. Buffet from 7pm, stovies at 10pm, £15/£7.50.

Friday 26th
 'The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery' - Grantown Grammar School, Grantown-on-Spey. The Grantown Players perform a 2 act comedy by David McGillivray & Walter Zerlin Jnr. 7.30pm, tickets £6/£4 from The Bookmark, Grantown-on-Spey. T: 01479 872455.
 Grantown Society Meeting & Talk - Grant Arms Hotel, Grantown-on-Spey. Talk from Alasdair Laing of Logie Estates Estate Management in the 21st Century .  7.30pm.

Saturday 27th
 Christmas Craft Fair - Inverallan Hall, Grantown-on-Spey. Arts & craft stalls. 10am-1pm. FREE. adam@adamwalker-parker.co.uk
 Football Match - Seafield Park, Grantown-on-Spey. Strathspey Thistle v Nairn County, 3pm.
 1950 s Rock n Roll Dance - Kincraig Community Hall. Including diner delights & dancing demos! 7.45pm £10/£12/£15. Tickets from Kincraig Stores T: 07974689651.
 Live Music - Royal British Legion, Grantown-on-Spey. Live music with Shane, 9.30pm.

Sunday 28th
 Silver Screen Cinema Cafe - Ord Ban Restaurant Cafe, Rothiemurchus. Showing Life is Beautiful , £10 including popcorn & ice-cream at interval. 7.30pm, T: 01479 810725.

Monday 29th
 Winter Lecture with Hendy Pollock - Grantown Museum, Grantown-on-Spey. Rails to Grantown , 7.30pm, £3.50.

Tuesday 30th
 St Andrew s Day Beer & Whisky Tasting - Cairngorms Hotel, Aviemore. Beer & whisky tasting in association with Cairngorm Brewery. 4.30-6.30pm, FREE. T: 01479 810233.

New member to Cairngorms National Park Authority

The Minister for Environment Roseanna Cunningham today announced the appointment of new member to Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA)

 

Professor Gordon Riddler lives in Ballater and is a Geologist and Chartered Engineer. He is Chairman of the Board of Ballater (RD) Ltd (BRD), a voluntary sector Development Trust. Professor Riddler brings expert knowledge of research and development relating to natural resources and business management with specialised knowledge in corporate strategy and experience in fundraising in the private and public sector to CNPA.

 

This appointments is for four years and will run from 1 November 2010 to 30 September 2014.

Local Produce in and around the Cairngorms National Park

If you ever get a chance to visit the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland, you should definitely try the local produce in and around the park. This can be found at one of the Cairngorms Farmers Markets. One of the major reasons for traveling and exploring new countries and cultures is the local dishes. You will never be disappointed if you try this local savory food produce. Not only will you enjoy the delicious taste of local food in and around Cairngorms, but you will gain experience of the local Scotland tasty food. Don’t worry about what you will be eating or if the food will suit your taste, because the relevant Cairngorms National Park authorities are taking steps to increase the amount of food and drink that are produced locally for the savory delights of the visitors to the Park.

Taste of the Cairngorms

The Cairngorms are steeped in traditional and contemporary culture with the area's rich heritage reflected in the spectacular mountain and moorland landscape.

It is also a natural larder providing some of the finest local produce from venison, beef and lamb to trout, salmon and seasonal game. There is a variety of home-grown fruit and vegetables along with herbs, honey, cereal and dairy products while the coast is virtually on the doorstep providing the best of Scottish seafood. The surrounding area is equally well known as being the home to some of the most famous whisky distilleries while the village of Aviemore even has it's own award-winning brewery.

A vast array of produce is readily available in local shops while an ever increasing number of restaurant, hotels and other dining establishments pride themselves on making the best use of the finest home-grown ingredients to create a real Taste of the Cairngorms.

The truth is most people who are visiting the area for the first time, will be pleased by the beautiful scenery, and they will also want to eat the local foods in and around the Park, especially if they are travelling green. The Cairngorms National Park officials are even calling on the food and drink sectors in the environs of the Park to join in the drive to produce more local produce for consumption by the Park’s visitors. In addition to this the relevant Cairngorms Park authorities are recognizing the great benefits that the Park can contribute to local producers in the area, and so they have called meetings with the producers to try and meet the ever rising demand by the Park’s visitors for locally produced low carbon food. The statistics are now showing that approximately 40 percent of the visitors to the Cairngorms National Park highlands are demanding local food and drink, now if the local producers can take advantage of this demand by providing a constant flow of local produce to meet this demand then there will be strong support for further economic growth.

If all goes well between the Cairngorms National, Park authorities and the local producers in and around the Park, then the tourists to the Park will ultimately benefit as well. The tourists will benefit has they will get the grand opportunity to eat locally produced food grown by the locals. While, on the other hand, the use of the Cairngorms National Park’s delicious local foods will help people to lead healthy lives and increase the standard of living, as many will get an opportunity to be educated, harness and develop their skills, others will get employment opportunities and the local food producers could also help to develop the Cairngorms national Park into a healthy low carbon National Park.

Will Boyd Wallis of the CNPA said: "Research shows that consumers want to see locally sourced, fresh produce on menus and in a place like the Cairngorms National Park where people can travel about and see deer or take part on stalking, it's great then see that wonderful local resource appear on local menus."

Another venison extravaganza is planned for the area later in the year with Scotland's first ever Venison Festival, organised by the Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms Destination Management Organisation, taking place from the 26-31 October. All being supported by the Cairngorms Farmers Market. For more info check www.discoverroyaldeeside.com/Venison-Festival/

To keep up with what's on with food and produce in the Cairngorms Park ,a long with monthly Farmers Markets check out www.Cairngorms-Park.com

Skiing the Cairngorms every month for a year

CairnGorm regular Helen Rennie has achieved her ambition to ski at the resort every month for a year
Fresh snow over the Cairngorms on 20 October proved irresistible to Inverness teacher Helen Rennie, who came to fame over the summer after posting videos of finding and skiing patches of snow at the Scottish ski resort on YouTube.

The snowfall meant Rennie could achieve a lifetime’s ambition of skiing for 12 consecutive months at Cairngorm after hiking up to the Marquis Wells area near the mountain summit and skiing half a kilometer down to the top of the Ptarmigan Tow lift.

“I have skied in all months of the year over the years but this is the first time I have ever skied every month in succession for 12 months” commented Rennie, whose latest achievement marks her 100th day of skiing at Cairngorm since 29 November 2009.

The winter season at Cairngorm begins in earnest in December but the resort has been known to offer snowsports earlier. Look out for more updates on Cairngorm when the Ski Club’s winter snow reports restart in November.

Yuri the Amur Tiger

It was with some sadness that on 11 October 2010, Yuri was put painlessly to sleep. Yuri arrived at the Park, along with his long time mate Sasha, from Edinburgh Zoo on 25 September 2008. The arrival of the tigers was both a clear signal of our expanded species plan to include cold weather adapted animals from around the globe and not just Scottish species, and the real trigger for our greatly increased visitor numbers.

Yuri was born in Duisburg Zoo in Germany on 13 June 1993, and was sent to Edinburgh Zoo in July 1999 as recommended by the European Zoo Association’s Amur tiger breeding programme, which is coordinated from London Zoo. Yuri was introduced to Sasha later that year and mating was soon observed. They had two litters whilst at Edinburgh of three cubs each time. A few months after moving to the Highlands, mating was observed and on 11 May 2009 Yuri and Sasha again produced and reared a litter of three cubs. Although Yuri and Sasha did not always see eye to eye and their “arguments” could be heard across the Park, he was incredibly gentle with all his offspring, especially when they were very small and just starting to stumble out of the cubbing den.

As this last litter of cubs grew and became more boisterous, Yuri was observed to be keeping a lower profile, and more importantly was seen to be drinking more than normal. At 17 years old, Yuri is an old boy and as is usual in big cats of this age, we suspected that he may be developing arthritis and his kidneys were beginning to fail. If this was the case, the only outcome for him would be increasing levels of discomfort and inevitably death, and not a very pleasant one. Through testing his urine, we ascertained that his kidneys were failing and after lengthy discussions with our veterinary colleagues and the keepers who have been caring for him, we concluded that the only option open to us was to put him to sleep before the symptoms started to compromise his welfare. Simon Girling, the Zoological Society’s head of veterinary services says of Yuri’s condition, “Kidney failure is extremely common in ageing cats, both wild and domestic, as are age-related arthritic problems and sadly Yuri is showing all the classic signs. Animal welfare has to be our top priority and so this decision, although a difficult one, is the right one.” In addition, Jane Harley, the Park’s local veterinary consultant has a similar opinion, “In common with many geriatric pet cats, Yuri has kidney failure and painful arthritis. His keepers and I have been monitoring him closely and although this has been a difficult decision for everyone involved with him it has been made with his quality of life as priority”

In life he played his part in both increasing the number of his endangered species and raising the profile of the plight of Amur tigers in the wild. In death, the exhaustive post mortem examination and the distribution of key biological samples to different conservation research institutions will help expand our knowledge of this magnificent animal and may offer further clues that might aid in saving the species in the wild.

in reference to: Highland Wildlife Park, Kincraig, Kingussie, Inverness-shire, Scotland, UK (view on Google Sidewiki)

Highland Chieftain - Inverness to London Train may be saved

A UK government minister has dropped the strongest hint yet that direct train services between Inverness and London will be saved.

Although a decision on future rail provision will not be announced until later this month, rail minister Theresa Villiers has acknowledged the importance of through services to passengers as well as the - and indicated they could continue.

Her comments come amid growing support for The Inverness Courier's campaign to save the Highland Chieftain which provides a daily direct service between the UK and Highland capitals. Fears have been growing that it could be axed following an appraisal of plans to replace Britain's ageing high-speed trains with a new generation fleet fuelled by both electricity and diesel.

The review suggests one way to save money is for passengers from Inverness to swap from diesel trains at Edinburgh to electric locomotives bound for to London. A decision will be announced as part of the government's comprehensive spending review on 20th October.

But Ms Villiers has now acknowledged that if the new bi-mode train programme does not go ahead, a possible solution is to refurbish and extend the life of the existing High Speed Trains. Her comments come in a letter to Sir Robert Smith, the Lib-Dem MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, who has taken up the issue on behalf of business organisation the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI).

Visit Scotland Launch another grading - This time activity providers

Small activity businesses now get official rating

VisitScotland, the country’s tourist agency, has launched the world’s first activity provider grading scheme.

It means that dozens of small businesses – ranging from kayak instructors to fishing gurus and walking instructors to white water rafting guides – now have an official rating to help boost their bookings from tourists.

The scheme has been launched as Scotland plays host to the prestigious Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) which takes place this week in Aviemore.

Around 600 delegates from more than 50 different countries have descended on the Highlands to take part in the conference.

The event - which has been organised by the Seattle-based Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) – brings together tour operators, destination management organisations and a host of other industry experts as is the global adventure travel industry’s main annual conference.

Paul Easto, co-director of Edinburgh-based Wilderness Scotland which has just become one of Scotland’s first five-star activity providers, said: “Holding this major international summit in the Highlands is a once in a generation opportunity for Scotland to present itself to the world’s adventure travel trade.

It is the first time the ATWS has been held in the UK and only the second time it has been held in Europe. Guest speakers will include Tourism minister Jim Mather and VisitScotland chairman Mike Cantlay.

Cantlay added: “This fantastic event will help to enhance Scotland’s reputation as the adventure capital of Europe, bringing a healthy return on investment.

“Whether you are into rock climbing, bungee jumping or more easily accessible adventures such as taking a stroll and enjoying the stunning scenery, there are an enormous range of exciting outdoor activities available.”

VisitScotland said the new activity provider grading scheme will benefit the growing number of people who run their businesses without a visitor premises - those who meet their customers, for example, by a loch, on the beach or at the base of a mountain.

Up until now, businesses could be graded only as a visitor centre, meaning those companies without fixed premises could not receive a grading.

FW: Noel Baxter Car Boot Sale Fundraiser

 

 

 

 

Autumn Newsletter 2010

 

You're receiving this newsletter because you've requested a Cairngorms Holiday Newsletter from Cairngorms-Park.com and/or sister sites or signed up for our monthly competition. Having trouble reading this email? View it on your browser. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe Instantly.   In this issue ·         Another good season ·         Some money matters ·         Green Cairngorms ·         Industry bites back against TripAdvisor Other news What's on in the Park Don't forget every month we list What's On in the Cairngorms National Park, from Newtonmore to Tomintoul, over to Ballater & Angus Glens, we also include Blair Atholl (soon to be in the park). The only "What's On" that covers the whole of the Cairngorms National Park. Read more... Welcome new members We are glad to welcome - Apple Grove Cottage, Aldon Lodge, Broomieknowe Cottage, Avielochan Cottages, Lodges at Badaguish, Holmhill House., Aviemore Luxury Accommodation, Oldstables B&B, Angus Glens Cottages, Dalhenzean, Dalnoid, Aviemore Ski Hire, Cluny Mains, Fern Villa, Little Orchard Cottage, Garden Cottage,  Highlands Holiday Lodge, Feshiebridge, Cairngorms National Park Holiday House, Aviemore Holidays   Facebook and Twitter We have a vibrant presence on both Facebook and Twitter. If you're not signed up yet - here's your excuse to give it a go, come and be our friend! Limited edition posters We are awaiting delivery of our new Cairngorms-Park winter snow sports A3 vintage style posters, we have 20 to give away, if you would like to reserve one for your property, drop us an email and we will ensure one gets dropped off or posted to you. These are limited edition prints and will look great framed on any lounge wall or reception area. Unsubscribe Click to instantly unsubscribe from this mailing list. Send to a friend Send this email to someone you think may be interested. September 2010 Another good season The summer season was slow to kick off, but many of our advertisers report equal or better occupancies rates than last year.  Client feedback reported that many bookings in late summer were last minute and often holiday makers were hunting down deals and discounts. So far in 2010, there were 2250+ enquiries made through Cairngorms-Park.com , which is great.  With another cold winter forecasted let's hope we get another bumper Autumn/Winter season and keep the enquiries rolling in. Many of our users found that advertising on our last minute deals widget helped fill those annoying empty weeks. So don't forget to email us with your monthly saver deals or offers. Back to top Some money matters To advertise on Cairngorms-Park.com for the last few years has been free. To raise funds to continually improve the site, we are going to charge a small administrative fee for enhanced listings in 2011 onwards. You will always have a basic listing for free, for life, but for a small annual fee your accommodation will be promoted to a premium listing. Premium listings will ensure your accommodation details are shown above non fee paying adverts. We are currently a "not for profit" project.  All revenue will be used to develop and improve the site. Charges will start at around thirty pounds per year. We hope you will agree this is value for money. We will contact you in the near future with further information regarding our premium listing packages and payment. Back to top Green Cairngorms The proposed Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). If you replace your existing fossil fuel heating system (e.g. gas, oil or coal) with a renewable technology (e.g. air-source heat pump) you could get paid a set amount each year as an incentive for you to reduce your CO2 emissions and help prevent climate change. Read more... Back to top Industry bites back against TripAdvisor An internet regulatory group called the Cloud Industry Forum is claiming that around 400 UK and US hotels and restaurants have reported being unhappy with TripAdvisor and are considering a group defamation action. Read more... Back to top   Cairngorms-Park.com - www.cairngorms-park.com