A CRACKLING fire, a bubbling hot tub and a warming glass of whisky — could you need anything more when the winter weather hits?
These three ingredients were some of the essentials of a recent family trip to Aviemore, which was almost scuppered by a ferocious storm that battered Scotland.
We jumped ahead of the red alert by driving up to the Highlands early and managed to dodge the worst of the horrendous weather — and I cannot think of a better place to batten down the hatches.
Aviemore, in the heart of the stunning Cairngorms, is one of our favourite family haunts, and for this jaunt we were staying in a Cairngorms Escapes property called Tawny Lodge.
This compact, cosy and charming home had everything we could possibly need.
An open plan living room and kitchen area came complete with a wood burning stove which kept the cold at bay, along with two spacious bedrooms and two bathrooms, all decked out in exquisite country style. It screamed Scotland, with Highland cows and tartan in every nook, but somehow managed to stay on the classy side of kitsch.
Out in the garden was the aforementioned hot tub, which got plenty of use, even with the snow falling.
Arriving late afternoon, we got ourselves settled in before heading out for dinner at the nearby Aspects Restaurant, part of the Macdonald Resort.
Something of an institution in the town, they really know how to look after diners, bringing us still warm, home-made rolls and butter while we perused the menu.
I went for the crayfish and prawn cocktail, which was fresh and delicious, before tucking into a crisp chicken Kiev, which was a moreish treat. Meanwhile, my husband Ryan went for the Indian options, trying the King Prawn Pepper Fry and the slow cooked lamb rogan josh, the latter so tender it fell off the bone.
And our five-year-old son Jimmy, who has food allergies, couldn’t have been better catered for, polishing off three massive courses of melon, sausages and sorbet in jig time.
The next day we’d scheduled a day of activities at Loch Insh Outdoor Centre where our expert guide Dale put us through our paces.
The stunning venue is right on the water and offers everything from wild swimming and sauna sessions to archery and watersports.
We were booked in for tubing and it started to snow as we arrived which made the slope even slippier.
The squeals of delight as we hurtled down the hill in our giant inflatable rings could be heard bouncing off the hills – this really was a highlight of the trip.
After a tasty lunch at the on-site cafe we were ready for more – this time it was a game of ice hockey on the all-year-round plastic rink. Brilliant fun.
We just had time for a wee dip in the hot tub back at base before venturing out for another fantastic meal, this time at the Old Bridge Inn. Highlights were my game terrine with fig and jalapeno chutney and Ryan’s perfectly pink rib eye.
GO: CAIRNGORMS
A THREE-night weekend stay in Tawny Lodge, Aviemore, which sleeps four, costs from £639.
See caledonianescapes.co.uk/tawny-lodge-aviemore.
See visitcairngorms.com/winter or follow VisitCairngorms on social media.
A wee dram in front of the fire before bedtime was the perfect end to a hectic day.
Saying goodbye to the adorable cottage was bittersweet – but we had more adventures ahead with a day at the fantastic Highland Wildlife Park planned. It’s a winter wonderland in the snow, with so much to see from wolverines and snow monkeys to Polar Bears and Arctic foxes.
It was a fitting, wintry end to our Highland fling.
As we headed back to check if our own home’s roof had survived the storm, we knew it would take a hurricane to keep us from returning to awesome Aviemore in the near future.
