This page of our site gives you a very brief look at things that there are to see and to do during your stay with us in this delightful part of the world.   We’ve listed some useful links for you to find out even more;  please see our links page.

Walking, Climbing and Mountaineering

Nearby are 3 magnificent mountain ranges – The Cairngorms, The Monadliaths and Nevis range. You are spoilt for choice with an excellent selection of Munros, Corbetts & Donalds, all achievable in a comfortable day's outing from here. There is also a whole host of very fine, lower level walks, forest trails and short walks (notably the paths around Uath Lochans, in the magnificent Glen Feshie and the 7-mile Wildcat Trail around Newtonmore just 5 minutes down the road).

The Badenoch Way runs nearby, the spectacular Corrieyairack Pass is just a short drive away and the long disrance Speyside Way starts (or finishes if you prefer) just 20 minutes up the road in Aviemore.

We're more than happy to provide you with maps, routes and guidance. Drying out and storing your kit at the end of each day is no problem; we have good facilities for both.

Walking Festivals in the Cairngorms National Park

The Aviemore Walking Festival programme offers plenty for everyone – short leisurely strolls through forests and along river and loch banks, to more strenuous hill walks to the snowfields at over 4,000ft high.   Come and enjoy the best of the British countryside with fine walks, through magnificent scenery. 
 

21st - 24th June 2012
Moray Walking Festival 

A new midsummer walking festival based on the Moray Way and surrounding towns/villages.  Details to be confirmed.  

6th – 10th September 2012
Tomintoul & Glenlivet Walking Festival 

Join us at the “friendly festival” on some spectacular walks in the Cairngorms National Park.  A dedicated team has been working to provide a full range of walks and social events which will take place from 6th – 12th September 2012.  Our emphasis is placed on your time in our fantastic area.
www.tgwf.co.uk   

Cycling

There are cycle routes too numerous to mention in the local area in and around Glen Feshie and the Glen Truim, Etteridge & Phones Estates.

Also now open is the exciting new Mountain Biking Centre – Wolf Trax at Laggan. This fabulous new operation has over 6 kms of really challenging Black routes, the same length of testing trails for intermediates and 1.5 kms of fun for beginners. They offer great base facilities too and all this is just 25 minutes away!!

The 215 mile cycle route from Glasgow to Inverness (Sustrans Route 7) passes right by our driveway, why not stop over for a night – or even two – for a well earned rest?

With more practical considerations in mind, we have ample secure storage for bikes and can arrange for hire and repairs in through Service Sports in town

Watersports

Watersports abound close at hand with Loch Insh Watersports just 15 minutes away, offering equipment hire and tuition for sailing, canoeing & windsurfing, together with kayak safaris on the River Spey. Loch Morlich is a little further, offering similar facilities, again in stunning surroundings.

Fishing

Some of Scotland's renowned fishing, for Salmon, Trout and Pike is available locally on the River Spey, at The Rothiemurchus Fishery and on various Lochs nearby.

Golf

The two closest courses are here in Kingussie and just down the road in Newtonmore – 2 very different courses, each very enjoyable and amply rewarding in its own way. There are also a number of other courses within a short drive of Ruthven House – plenty to go at during your stay if, of course, Golf is your thing.

Horse Riding

Riding is available at the Newtonmore Riding Centre just 3 miles away, Alvie Stables just 6 miles and Rothiemurchus Estate, approximately 11 miles. There are different rides to suit all standards.   We can thoroughly recommend Mac Equestrian at Laggan, run by Michelle Chalmers who offers expert private tuition.

Wildlife

We are surrounded by thousands of acres of moorland and forest, teeming with wild creatures. The RSPB owns the nearby Insh Marshes Nature Reserve just 5 minutes walk from the house and 30 minutes up the road, the Loch Garten Nature Reserve, home of the world famous Ospreys.

Just 10 minutes away, the superb, award-winning Highland Wildlife Park, with its wolves and bison to name but two of its residents, is well worth a visit.
You can also get “up close and personal” with The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd near Aviemore and, if you wish, book a sled-dog ride through the forests. Both are great fun!!

Turning to our feathered friends, we have been really surprised at the wide range of birds that you can see in the countryside around here. Greenfinches, Siskens, Chaffinches, Blue Tits and Thrushes, Lapwings, Partridges, Pheasants and Oyster Catchers all put in regular appearances in the fields and trees around the village.
Further afield but still within easy reach, sightings of Golden Eagles, Ospreys, Buzzards, Capercaillie, Black Grouse and Snow Bunting await you.

Skiing and Snowboarding

Our location offer skiers and boarders a choice of venues, doubling your opportunities to get on to the snow and offering different challenges, runs & routes. Just over half an hour away, the Cairngorms are Scotland's premier ski area, with Downhill, Snowboarding, Telemark and Nordic all well catered for. A little further away, around an hour or so, is the smaller, more intimate Nevis Range for a change of scenery.

Photography

Whether you are interested in photographing landscapes, buildings, wildlife, birdlife, plants or simply in capturing wonderful holiday images this area offers you loads of opportunities to take some marvellous photos.

Shopping

Both Kingussie and Newtonmore have an interesting range of shops for you to browse in, Aviemore has an even wider choice and we must not forget House of Bruar and others a little further afield. Kingussie train station is only a 15 minute walk should you decided to take the train for a day out in Perth or Inverness.

Other Activities

Also in the area you can let yourselves in for a real treat by going to watch Neil Ross and his working sheepdog display at Leault Farm, just 10 minutes north of here. Alternatively why not try your hand at Clay Pigeon Shooting, Archery, Gliding, and 4x4 Off Road driving, all of which we can arrange for you.

Aviemore Sled Dog Rally

21 - 22 January 2012 Aviemore, Scotland, UK

Two-day timed trials held by the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain which take place in Aviemore.

The World Famous Arden Grange & Siberian Husky Club of GB Aviemore Sled Dog Rally 2012

Every year, mushers from throughout the UK gather in the forests around Aviemore for the biggest event in the British husky calendar - always hoping for plenty of the white stuff to make it a real arctic experience.

Sled dog enthusiasts continue a racing tradition, which is now almost a century old. Around 200 teams of dogs from all over the country will be straining at the leash on January 21 and 22. With competitors ranging in age from just eight to 60, there's something for all the family to see at this great spectator event, which has grown from just a dozen teams in 1984, to more than 200 in recent year's race.

Organised by the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain the rally is run on tracks around Loch Morlich in the shadow of the Cairngorms. The event is the biggest gathering of its kind in the UK for dogs, which were first bred to pull sleds in Arctic conditions hundreds of years ago. The rally features teams of between two and eight dogs running at up to 20 miles an hour over a gruelling, four-mile track. Along with the Siberian huskies, rally dogs include Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds, Greenland Dogs and Canadian Eskimo Dogs. And, even if there's no snow at ground level for the event, the races will still go on with mushers using a three-wheeled rig that looks like a bike without a seat. Sled dogs come from as far as the Isle of Wight and Devon for one of the most challenging and prestigious of the British Siberian Husky Club's series of rallies.