History

The area in and close to Newtomore is rich in the history. Some of the best examples can be seen at the Highland Folk Museum and the Clan Macpherson Museum in Newtonmore, and also on the popular Strathspey Steam Railway, which runs from Aviemore to Broomhill (Glenbogle Station in the Monarch of the Glen BBC TV series) near Nethybridge.

Eating Out

Newtonmore has various places to eat out, including 'The Letterbox Restaurant' and 'The Glen Hotel'. Highly rated restaurants in the local area are 'The Cross' and 'The Auld Alliance' in nearby Kingussie, which also has several other places to eat out.

Bird Watching

There are many fantastic bird watching locations in Badenoch and Strathspey, including:

Insh Marshes: One of the most important wetlands in Europe. Spring brings nesting lapwings, redshanks and curlews and in winter the marshes flood, providing roosting and feeding for flocks of whooper swans and greylag geese.

Loch Garten Osprey Centre: Abernethy Forest. Loch Garten is famous for the ospreys that can be seen from the Osprey Centre in summer.  As well as an excellent view of the nest, live video pictures are relayed back to the centre. The walk in to the centre takes you through rare Caledonian pine forest, where you may see crested tits, Scottish crossbills and red squirrels.

Loch Ruthven: Just out of  the Cairngorm area but only about 30 minutes from Carrbridge. This lovely loch is fringed by sedges and birch woods with open moorland.  It is the most important site in the UK for the rare Slavonian grebe.  The hide provides the perfect setting to watch the grebes without causing disturbance. Ospreys can be seen regularly and there is also a chance of seeing a peregrine or hen harrier

Wildlife

A short drive away is the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig. It has on show a spectacular array of Scottish and endangered species, including Amur (Siberian) tigers and their cubs, which were born early in 2009. Speyside Wildlife offers real wildlife encounters in the Cairngorms National Park. Cairngorm Reindeer Centre boasts the UK's only herd of Reindeer roaming free in their natural environment and it is possible to have an up close encounter with them.

Outdoor Activities

Newtonmore is in The Cairngorms National Park and is close to many Munros & Corbetts, with The Monadhliath Mountains on one side of us and The Cairngorms on the other. Coig na Shee is your ideal base for Highland Walking, Monro bagging and for winter snow action at Cairngorm or Nevis Range. Help and guidance is available from local Professional Mountain Guides from Team Ascent and also if you want to learn or brush up on other winter snow skills The Ski and Snowboard School are there for you. For many other forms of outdoor action, Rothimiemurcus Estate, near Aviemore, offers some 27 different activities ranging from the leisurely to action filled, and the nearby Highland Activities on Ardverikie Estate offers an action-packed day out, as does the famous Wolftrax Mountain Biking Centre. Both of these are near Laggan, only 20 minutes away from Coig na Shee by car. For water sports there is Loch Morlich and Loch Insh and also the local Outdoor Adventure Company based in Newtonmore and Aviemore. Active Spirit, located locally, provide a wide range of outdoor activiites, catering for all age groups and all levels of experience.

The Wildcat Trail is a well signed and not too strenuous walking route, encircling Newtonmore, offering the walker 3 hours of various scenic views around the village. The Wildcat Experience is a new fun outdoor activity for everyone in Newtonmore. For details and brochures contact The Wildcat Centre, Main Street, Newtonmore. Many other beautiful walks can also be found close by. Section 5 of the new East Highland Way long distance walk, connecting Fort William with Aviemore passes close by Coig na Shee.

Sports

Newtonmore has tennis courts, a bowling green as well as the popular Newtonmore Golf Club. The Newtonmore Shinty Club has its ground, the Eilan, just off the road into Newtonmore from the A9 from Perth. This is where the famous encounters with their fierce local rivals, Kingussie, take place. For horse riding on local highland ponies, the Newtonmore Riding Centre is within walking distance of Coig na Shee.

Loch Ness, Whisky & more

Newtonmore is a good stopping off place on the way to the famous Whisky Trail, and in addition we have the local Dalwhinnie Distillery nearby for tours and tastings. The Cairngorm Brewery in Aviemore continues to win awards and is also open for tours. A bit further away, but well worth the visit, is the world famous Loch Ness. What better way to see this famous stretch of water than aboard one of the Loch Ness Cruises. Just an hour away from Coig na Shee is one of the great train journeys of the world. The West Highland Line extension runs from Fort William to Mallaig, passing through some truly beautiful scenery while travelling on the steam hauled Jacobite, passing over the spectacular Glenfinnan Viaduct. (as seen in the Harry Potter films). For a 'local' night out at the movies, The Spey Valley Cinema has opened at the MacDonald Highland Resort in Aviemore.

           Wild Cat, Highland Wildlife Park, Kingcraig           Wild Catfish, The Wildcat Experience, Newtonmore

                  Owl at Highland Wildlife Park, Kincraig                    'Celebration of The Centuries', Fort George. Inverness