 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, been to Aviemore but only for 2 nights so I need some greater detail on the place. I was going to the alps for a week skiing but this is a no go now for a few reasons. So the next best thing for us to do is Scotland. Planning on heading up on Wednesday 9th Feb and coming home on Sunday 13th, so a 4 night stay. I will go skiing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday but as Anna does not ski she will get pretty bored. So, what is there to do for non skiers, she also does not drive so it would have to be local really. I thought about checking into the Hilton at coylumbridge so she could use the pool and spa etc, but at over £900 for 4 nights that was a big no no!!! So, can anyone recommend a good but decent priced hotel and also suggestions of places she could go while I'm skiing? This isn't half term either is it? Anyone up there on the above dates fancy some skiing as I will be on my own. Cheers!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ricklovesthepowder, Is your partner active other than being a non-skier. You could check out Glenmore Lodge for availability.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Ricklovesthepowder, Just booked 3 nights at that hotel for the first week of Easter hols £345 half board for 3 of us.
Only 'cos it's on the mountain access road.
Unfortunately I have no idea what else there is to do there, sorry
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Half term in a lot of Scottish regions is the following week, so the weekend could be super busy. Of course it is also Valentine's weekend. That would explain the price of the Hilton.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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ricfrench, found a lovely little cottage 20 mins from Aviemore and 50 mins from Nevis so i think we are going to go for that. Apparently Saturday 12th Feb is the start of some of the Scottish School holidays so that will be our last day i think.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ricklovesthepowder, loads to do in the area - to be honest way more than you'll get in any Alpine resort, at least in my experience.
A good starting point is this site: http://visitcairngorms.com/home
Also take a look at the online version of the local What's on Guide here, at the moment you'll be seeing the January one but it's got loads of information about stuff that's on every month and the Feb one will appear later in the month.
As for a accommodation you should look out for discounted rates at the Hilton (which is a lovely place) as well as the McDonalds hotels, there's also the Cairngorm Hotel (but that apparently can be a bit noisy around weekends from folk down in the bar) and then there are loads of smaller places - check out the accomodation link on the site I linked to above.
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Rick, If Anna doesn't ski and doesn't drive, you might be better off going alone.
I think she will get terribly bored.
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^ if in Aviemore she'll be fine, transport links are good and there's the train as well - somewhere like Carrbridge for example, which is off the beaten track and very sleepy these days will be deadly boring though so if she doesn't drive you should be careful you don't stay off the beaten track ... which probabaly means anywhere apart from Aviemore!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Right think we have found where we are going to stay. It is here http://www.highlandholidaycottages.com/ which is 25 minutes from Aviemore but if can drop here off in Aviemore on my way up to skiing each day, where she can do what she wants, even go to Inverness if she wishes via the train. Im sure one day she will stay at the cottage and have a lazy kind of day, We have brought our trip forward by 1 day so we will be leaving Manchester on the morning of Tuesday 8th Feb, and staying until Saturday 12th Feb, as this is the first day of the school holidays. I will be skiing Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. roga, will you be up there then? I really want to ski with someone else and would like to maybe try Nevis for one of the 3 skiing days. Is anyone about for those dates?
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Ricklovesthepowder, fraid I won't be up until a few days after the 12th - ironically I'm there for the busy periods you're trying to avoid, gives me lots of work!
The cottages look really nice btw 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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roga, Cheers, got a good deal as well. Needed somewhere nice so she can stay there if she wants for a day or 2. Also there are other cottages there etc so its not to isolated for here. Like i said, she can go to Aviemore, or get the train to Inverness or even ride the train up to the ski area so we could have ,unch etc. She is as excited as me lol! Shame your not up there as you will know the place like the back of your hand lol!!!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I will be staying here the weekend before Ricklovesthepowder is heading up... what's the best way to get from here up to the slopes?
Anyone else there that weekend?
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Ricklovesthepowder, The The Macdonald Aviemore Resort are doing 50% off and a free room type upgrade if you book by the 17th its right in the middle of town. Its worth phoning them and wangling a a deal.
http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/offers/winter/
just double check they dont put you in the cheaper rooms 
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You know it makes sense.
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Having grown up in Inverness (a long time ago) I have a bias but my guess is that the train to and from Inverness and a day there might be a better bet for her than a day in Aviemore. Not sure that there is enough in Aviemore to fill that time if you are not actually doing something. The railway station in Aviemore and in Inverness is right in the centre of town . In the right weather conditions a walk along the River Ness side can be very attractive (not great in an howling wind and driving rain but v good if you get some sun).
Cottage looks great but bear in mind that you are some distance from any shops so I would stock up with everything you need and take it with you (or if you forget something, aim to get it in the Tesco in Aviemore when you are there for skiing).
Assuming that you are not in a snowstorm when you are there, getting about should be ok, both to Aviemore and Fort William.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Ricklovesthepowder, sounds cool and I'm sure she'll find plenty to do to be honest.
MoodyFFS, The Scandinavian Village is in the area of Aviemore that used to be the old Aviemore Centre and has now been partly redeveloped and houses the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort, The Scandinavian Village and some of the hotels around the main new Macdonald bit were built when the old centre was still there but all I believe have ben updated and offer good accomodation. Being where you are you'll be a couple of minutes from the Macdonald shops, restaurants, cinema, leisure arena and hotels and 5 mins from the main village centre and shops on Grampian Road. From there you can get the ski bus up to the slopes easily (nearest bus stop is probably outside the railway station) so getting up to the slopes should be easy, if you miss a bus you can always try hitching on the ski road which is usually a pretty successful way of getting up too.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Mon 10-01-11 23:15; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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roga, awesome thanks! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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malcolm1, cheers mate, yes we will do a big shop on the tuesday morning and then head straigh up to the cottage. She will sort herself out, she loves just chilling and doing nothing most of the time, as long as she has her books, the laptop ( free wifi in cottage) and dvd's she will be fine. Been to that tesco before, good stock of stuff in there. Just 1 question guys, i have my own boots but i need to hire skis and poles, where is the best place to hire them from, i want to hire pretty good skis aswell. Cheers.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Ricklovesthepowder wrote: |
| roga, Like i said, she can go to Aviemore, or get the train to Inverness or even ride the train up to the ski area so we could have ,unch etc. |
It was a bus up the skiroad, not a train, last time I looked  But, the bus goes regularly, and stops along the way at some other places she might like - Rothiemurchus Estate http://www.rothiemurchus.net/ Huskie Sled Dog centre http://www.sled-dogs.co.uk/ and the reindeer centre http://www.cairngormreindeer.co.uk/ All easily reached on foot from the bus route that runs up to the ski area from Aviemore. Hope you both have fun!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Oh, and re ski hire, Ronald and I got great touring kit and good service from Mountain Spirit last year. They have touring, tele-mark, touring tele-mark, any off-piste kit you need as well. http://www.mountainspirit.co.uk/
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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MoodyFFS, ooo, you never said. Who are you going with? did you get that accommodation through work?
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Shimmy Alcott, you up there when I am?
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Shimmy Alcott, yep! Bonus huh!
Ricklovesthepowder, nah she's coming with me
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Ricklovesthepowder, nope sorry. Off to France end of Feb.
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Ricklovesthepowder, for one day your Oh could go up the mountain with you. Theres a reasonable bar at the bottom, with a nice real fire, would be lovely for her to sit and read in front of it if she likes reading. She could then head up the funicular for the views - they are awesome (I was amazed at the scale of the mountain range) and you guys could do lunch together. A full day might get a bit boring so she could get the bus into Aviemore for the afternoon.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Shimmy Alcott, cheers, do you know the name of his nice bar at the bottom with the open fire?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Ricklovesthepowder, never said nice lol, but its dark and cosy and has a real fire Id be happy spending a morning there not skiing. Think its called the T-Bar. Little gift shop in there too.
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Shimmy Alcott, cheers.
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You know it makes sense.
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Shimmy Alcott, it's the Cas bar in the Day Lodge by the sounds of it
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Hey, you know there are not ONE but TWO polar bears at the Highland Wildlife park outside Aviemore. Seeing the real thing in snowy conditions and in a huge enclosure is pretty fabulous.
There's also the steam railway, which will chuffin take you about five miles up the line. They used to do an a-la carte meal - you could check that out but expect it to be busy on the valentine weekend.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Sofia, cheers i will look into it. Thanks for all these suggestions. it will give her something to do whilst im skiing!!!
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