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From California to Carrbridge for a good bowl of porridge

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Porridge makers from around the world are heading towards the home of the World Porridge Making Championships in the Highland village of Carrbridge. The 18th World Porridge Making Championship takes place on 9th October and will see competitors from Sweden, Ireland, America and the UK compete for the coveted Golden Spurtle.

Perfect Porridge 5 star style!

Furthest flung competitors are Merry Graham and Patrick Potter who are travelling over 5,000 miles from California to Carrbridge. Merry beat off stiff opposition in the North American ‘qualifying’ heats run by Oregon based Bob’s Red Mill’ to win the all expenses paid trip to Scotland.

Competitors come from all walks of life including an astrophysics student; a Gaelic singer;  a high flying managing director; a mill owner; mother of four, professional chefs and bed & breakfast proprietors.

The competition will determine what is judged to be the best bowl of traditional porridge made from nothing but oatmeal, salt and water. The competition will also crown the champion of the speciality porridge section where competitors have complete free reign to bring together other ingredients and flavours to traditional porridge to make their own creation. Speciality dishes in the past have included : Canadian Cran-Apple Crunch, Thai Curried Porridge, Oatmeal Bangers & Porridge Mash, Kedgeree Porridge and West Coast Seafood Porridge.

Judging is taken very seriously, as befits a world championship.  Two professional Masterchefs of Great Britain, George McIvor and Colin Bussey sitting on the judging panel along with celebrity judge, Karen Mackenzie, producer and co-host of the Fred MacAulay Show on BBC Radio Scotland. Karen’s credentials being she was brought up in a bed & breakfast household where a large pan of porridge was on the stove at the start of every day.

The volunteer event organisers and residents of Carrbridge are looking forward to welcoming the competitors, spectators and press that the event attracts to the village hall. The village hall featured in the hit BBC programme Monarch of the Glen so is no stranger to the small screen and fame.

The event is open from 10.30am-4.00pm, with competitors and judges led to the hall by the Badenoch and Strathspey Pipe Band at 11.50am for the toast to the porridge and the start of the competition heats. The final cook off to decide the 2011 World Champion who carries off the Golden Spurtle takes place at 3.00pm. Cairngorms Farmers Market and local craft/produce stalls run throughout , in what is a day when the world beats a path to Carrbridge.

 See www.goldenspurtle.com for more details and for overall area information www.visitcairngorms.com

What’s On in Royal Deeside in the the Cairngorms National Park

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Welcome to the July 2011 edition of What’s On in Royal Deeside and The Cairngorms. Here are just a few of the events!

Deeside Sessions
Some of the north-east’s best musicians return to Royal Deeside this summer with more Scottish traditional music! Live music sessions will take place in various pubs and hotels around Royal Deeside in this two month programme promoted by the DMO from the end of July through September. All the dates and locations can be found here – download the Deeside Sessions poster.

Aboyne and Deeside Festival
The 20th Annual Aboyne and Deeside Festival is on during July with an incredible variety of live shows, music events, films, exhibitions and workshops. Something for absolutely everyone and all interests!  Check the Festival website for more details and booking information.

Braemar Junior Highland Games – July 8th-10th
Three days of events including the Junior Games, an Arts & Crafts Fair, Highland Dancing and Piping Competitions, a Tug of War Teams Event and adult races – a Hill Race and a MultiTerrain 12k Run! Check the Braemar Junior Games website for programme details.

Royal Deeside Golf Classic – July 25th-29th
A 72-hole Stableford event for both Ladies and Gentlemen played over four majestic courses in Aboyne, Ballater, Banchory and Inchmarlo. Prizes are awarded for each round and for the full event. A free day has been included this year for an optional additional competition at Braemar or to visit the many places of scenic beauty around Royal Deeside. More information may be found at the Ballater Golf Club.

Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham -  July 30th
The famous duo will be performing a concert on the Crathes Castle lawn from 7.30-10pm. Bring a picnic and enjoy the music! Call 0844 4932166 for details and ticket information.

For more information on what is happening throughout the whole of the Cairngorms National Park in July see www.visitcairngorms.com/whatson

Read our online magazine here

What’s On in the Cairngorms National Park

Friday, June 24th, 2011

There is loads going on this weekend in the Cairngorms National Park including the Aviemore, Blair Atholl, Deeside and Angus areas.(see below) A brilliant coup for the area is the Scottish Hydro Challenge being held this weekend at the Spey Valley Course at Aviemore with Scot, Chris Doak currently in the lead. A full list can be found at www.visitcairngorms.com/whatson but a selection of events are listed below.

Scopttish Hydro Challenge

Saturday 25th
• Charity Day in aid of Scotland’s Garden Scheme and Tay Valley Mountain Rescue – Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, 9.30am-5.30pm.   www.blair-castle.co.uk
• Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team Sponsored Walk – Glen Feshie, £15/£10.   www.cmrtwalk.org.uk
• Spey Art Group Painting Workshop – Inverallan Church Hall, 10am-4pm, £15. To Book T: 01479 872085/873101.
• Live Music with Alfie McQuade – Glen Hotel, Newtonmore, 9.30pm. 
 

Sunday 26th
• Cairngorms Farmers Market – The Square, Grantown on Spey. 10am-4pm.
• Abernethy Open Gardens – Discover the treasures of private gardens in and around Nethy Bridge.  Tickets & location map from local shops, £5.  10am-5pm. T: 01479 851347.
• Lairig Ghru Race – Braemar to Aviemore, 10am www.deesiderunners.com
• Hilton Around the World in a Day 5km Fun Run – Hilton Coylumbridge Hotel, Aviemore, 2pm.  In aid of Hilton in the Community Foundation www.hilton-foundation.org.uk
• Live Music with ‘Blind & Deaf’ – The Club Bar, Hilton Craigendarroch Hotel, Ballater, 3-5pm.

11th June – 24th July
• Rachel Everitt Exhibition – The Iona Gallery, Kingussie.  Illustration, printmaking and animation. Mon, Thurs, Fri 1-5pm.  Sat-Sun 11am-5pm, FREE.
23rd-26th June
• Scottish Hydro Challenge – Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Course, Aviemore.   www.teamscottishhydro.com

Saturday 25th June
The Eilan, Newtonmore – Newtonmore 1sts v Lovat.  2.30pm.
The Dell, Kingussie. Kingussie 2nds v Kilmallie. 2.30pm.

There are also some local open golf comps on this weekend see http://visitcairngorms.com/opengolf

Whatever you choose to do have a great weekend in the Cairngorms National Park…kick back and enjoy the scenery!

THE WICKED WOLF IS BACK – MORE WICKED THAN BEFORE!!

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

The Wicked Wolf Triathlon – Saturday 23 July 2011 @ Lochindorb & Carr-Bridge, in the Cairngorms National Park.

Last year’s inaugural Wicked Wolf Triathlon raised over £4,000 for Cancer Research UK and it’s hoped that this year’s event will match that success, with entries opening for the challenge on Tuesday 1 March. The 2011 Wicked Wolf will take place on Saturday 23 July – the date was announced last night (Friday 25 February) at a special event at the Bridge House in Carr-Bridge, where Wicked Wolf organisers, Gemma Powell and Lisa Campbell handed over a cheque for a total of £4,254.00 to Dorothy Rodger, Area Volunteer Manager with Cancer Research UK. Gemma was inspired to set up the Wicked Wolf after losing her Dad, Jimmy Powell of Borve, Isle of Lewis, to pancreatic cancer in December 2009. Presenting Dorothy with the much needed funds, Gemma said: “The Wicked Wolf wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the community and our generous funders and of course those who took part, which allowed us to raise a fantastic amount of money for Cancer Research UK. The feedback from participants was extremely positive so we hope the Wicked Wolf is now a firm fixture on the adventure sports calendar and we look forward to fundraising year after year for Cancer Research UK to support the critically important work that they do.” Dorothy Rodger said: “This event was a fantastic example of local people coming together to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. We rely entirely on voluntary donations to fund the work and I would like to thank Gemma and Lisa and all those who supported the event for their continued support in 2011.” The Wicked Wolf Triathlon on Saturday 23 July begins with a 5km kayak (2km longer than last year) from the beach at Lochindorb, around the 13th century ruined castle – lair of the notorious Wolf of Badenoch. From there it’s a spectacularly scenic 30km mountain bike ride over the Lochindorb moor towards Carr-bridge – taking in amazing views of the Cairngorms – then a 10km run around the pretty woodlands of Carr-Bridge with a finale finish in the heart of the village. People can enter either as a team of three – doing one section each – or they can sign up as a solo entry. Places are limited to 55 entries so anyone who fancies taking part in the 2011 Wicked Wolf is encouraged to sign up quickly. Entrants are encouraged to aim to raise a minimum of £75.00 per solo entry or £150.00 per team of three with all funds raised by the Wicked Wolf going directly to Cancer Research UK with the event costs being met by entry fees and the generous support of a variety of funders. Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading charity dedicated to research on the causes, prevention and treatment of cancer and is the largest single funder of cancer research in the UK. The charity supports research into all aspects of the disease through the work of more than 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses across the UK. Survival rates for cancer have doubled in the last 40 years. But one-in-three people will still get cancer at some point during their lifetime. Cancer Research UK’s groundbreaking work, funded entirely by the public, will help ensure that millions more people will survive.

Entries open online on Tuesday 1 March at www.entrycentral.com Solo entries are £27.50 per person and team entries are £47.50 + £2.50 Triathlon Scotland Levy where applicable. For more information visit the Wicked Wolf website page www.wickedwolftriathlon.co.uk or visit the Wicked Wolf Triathlon event page on Facebook www.facebook.com or email wickedwolf@live.co.uk

For area information see www.visitcairngorms.com

Insider Festival Line-up

Friday, May 27th, 2011
 

The Insider Festival 2011

 

 17th-19th June 2011     

Inshriach Estate, By Aviemore, The Highlands, Scotland

 “anarchic, beautiful, otherworldly and above all, really great craic. Leave your woes behind and hit the Insider – you won’t regret it!” Aidan O’Rourke (Lau)

 “could the Insider be the best Scottish music festival this summer?” STV

 

‘Stoke your boilers – oil your moustaches – bust out your bustles and brush down your breeches – a Golden Age is upon us.  The Insider is back – and it’s Victorian’

 Unique and boutique, The Insider Festival returns for it’s 3rd year.  With a capacity of just 750 sharing 30 acres of camping on the banks of the Spey on the Edwardian country Estate of Inshriach House. The Insider once again hosts the most exciting new music from across the empire with Lau (BBC Radio 2 Folk band of the year for the last 2 years) not only performing but curating the main stage on Sunday,  joining them are a host of musical friends including Glasgow’s Hidden Orchestra, Admiral Fallow and the fantastic Horndog Brass Band.

Even though well over 75 bands are performing over the weekend there is lots more to see and do at The Insider including theatrics and parlour games by Manchester’s Larkin’ About, Visuals by the infamous Forkbeard Fantasy, vintage clothing stalls, Bushcraft and much more Victorian themed stalls and revelry to explore.

The finest in locally sourced food includes spit roasts from Ordban, venison, wood fired pizza, The Old Bridge Inn Smokehouse and much more. There are bars to suit the most discerning palate, whether your tipple is local beer from The Cairngorm Brewery or the now legendry Thistley Cross Cider or perhaps Madam would be interested Afternoon tea, cakes and cocktails…

The Insider has carved a unique reputation by being a festival built around and shaped by its musicians.  It has seeded wild collaborations, the formation of new bands and has been the setting and inspiration for the recording of albums and music videos.

Pimms, performers and entertainers. Trigonometry, taxidermy, croquet and crochet. Bards, ballads, ballooning and boatmen. Horse trading, cock fighting, bear baiting and badger wrestling. Bunting, bathing and basking.

 

Let’s Party like it’s 1899

Line up so far:
Lau, Hidden Orchestra, Admiral Fallow, Stanley Odd, Charlie McKerron and Friends, Macmaster/Hay, The Banana Sessions, The Bonfire Band, Woodenbox With A Fistful Of Fivers, Donna Maciocia, Geese, The Mike Kearney Ka-Tet, Sam Lee, Washington Irving, Capitals, Nevada Base, Horndog Brass Band, Bronto Skylift, How To Swim, Let’s Talk About Trees, The State Broadcasters, Ferret In My Garage, Gecko 3, Robin Adams, The French Wives, My Jet Black Tractor, Chesterwhin, Dave Mcgregor, Rura, Man’s Ruin, Rossco Galloway/The Chans, Kettle Of Kites, Lapsang And The Suchongs, Pilots, The Last Battle, Homework Abagail Grey, Crow Road, James MacKenzie and the Aquascene, The Duplets, The Bevvy Sisters, and more still being added to the bill…

Prices:
Weekend ticket with camping        £75
Friday day ticket                              £25
Saturday / Sunday day                    £35
Under 12′s                                         Free

 Quotes:

 “anarchic, beautiful, otherworldly and above all, really great craic. Leave your woes behind and hit the Insider – you won’t regret it!” Aidan O’Rourke (Lau)

“could the Insider be the best Scottish music festival this summer?” STV

 “it’s really refreshing to see this truly independent festival coming back for a second year… if last years line-up is anything to go by then we are in for a treat” Peenko

www.insiderfestival.com

www.visitcairngorms.com for local information

A little inspiration for Friday afternoon….

Friday, May 13th, 2011

 

Have a look at this video if you need a little help imagining the beauty of and fun to be had in the Cairngorms National Park or just if you need a wee reminder!

Just click on the Cairngorms National Park link below:

Cairngorms National Park Video

For more information visit the Cairngorms National Park website

Cairngorms Launches World’s First National Park iPhone App

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

The world’s first National Park I-phone App has been launched today, Monday 18th October, in the Cairngorms National Park by one of the country’s leading tourism and business organisations.

The VisitCairngorms App is the first app in the world to give visitors to a National Park the opportunity to obtain free, up-to-date information on where to stay, what to do and where to eat and drink based on their location within the Park.

In addition, the app will also allow visitors to access information on events taking place in the UK’s largest National Park.

Alan Rankin, Chief Executive of the Cairngorms Business Partnership, the organisation that has developed and launched the Cairngorms App, said: “It is incredibly exciting to be the first National Park in the world to launch a free information app specifically designed for visitors to the area and we are delighted to be leading the way. There are other National Park apps out there, but many are simply games, maps or overview apps – we have done our research and there are none out there that work in the way our app is designed – to get the customer in touch with local businesses and which are completely free to the user.“

The Cairngorms App gives the user the opportunity to search for restaurants, cafes activity providers and attractions closest to them wherever they are in the Cairngorms National Park. It will also tell the user how far away they are from any one business as well as giving them information on the company, Visit Scotland star ratings, contact information to make a booking and a link to the inbuilt Maps App giving them directions to where they are aiming to go. The area has a very effective website www.visitcairngorms.com and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter but the launch of the new app represents a first real step towards being able to communicate directly with visitors when they are moving around the area.

The I phone app is fed by a database of over 1200 listings and choices for the visitor and, like the website www.visitcairngorms.com, gets the customer to the business fast.

Rankin added. “Both the website and I-phone app are industry leaders in letting the user book a table, rooms or an activity within three clicks or taps. Customers now demand that information is immediately to hand. To date we have been able to provide great detail on the area via our website for what is mostly information gathering pre-departure, but now we have taken a massive leap forward in being able to provide customers live up to date information direct to their i-phones as they travel or visit the area.”

The app will identify the users location and then provide through Google Maps directions and a live map tracking their progress to the selected business. The app also provides directions by car, train or on foot to the chosen business.

The sometimes intermittent mobile signal within the Cairngorms National Park is also not a problem for the Cairngorms App as, explains Alan Rankin: “The app will automatically update when the user is within a mobile signal range in order to ensure that no-one misses out on the special offers and users can also gain the most relevant information to them at any one time.”

The Cairngorms Business Partnership decided to launch the App for the I-phone only to begin with following a study of the area that confirmed there was 5 times as many i-phone based enquiries to their website than all the other providers put together and nearly 15 times as many to that of second placed Blackberry users.

The project is supported by the Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Northern Periphery Programme funded Clim- ATIC Project.

For further information on the I-phone App or the Cairngorms Business Partnership, please contact info@visitcairngorms.com

News release from Ski Scotland

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

 

EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR SKIERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scotland’s weather has delivered an early Christmas present for skiers and snowboarders, with four of the country’s five mountain ski areas already operating, and the other expecting to open very soon. And with the snow and cold weather forecast to continue through the rest of the week and over the weekend, there should be plenty of opportunities to work off the excesses of Christmas dinner, cake and mince pies with some healthy skiing or boarding at CairnGorm, Nevis Range, the Lecht or Glenshee. Glencoe is also expected to open over the holiday period; although there is enough snow, the new owners have had to condense six months’ work into a very busy six week period, and a few extra days are still required before they’re ready to welcome skiers and boarders.

 

Heather Negus, Chair of ski-scotland, said, “there has been a fantastic early start to the Scottish ski season this winter – in fact, it’s the best since 1999! CairnGorm has already been operating for a few weeks, and this is the first time since 2003 that Nevis Range has opened for snowsports before Christmas. The forecast is also really promising for some great fun and wicked sliding over the holiday period.”

 

For the first time, the five mountain ski areas are offering an all-area five-day ski pass. These are valid for any five consecutive days at any of the five areas, and can be bought at any of the ticket offices: CairnGorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain, Glenshee, The Lecht and Nevis Range. The new pass has been produced in response to customer demand, and will allow skiers and boarders to sample each area, stick with one, or follow the best snow and road reports. The pass can be used for five days at one ski area, one day at each ski area – or any combination – the only requirement is that the five days are consecutive.

 

Heather continued, “we’d also like to remind our customers to check road conditions before they leave – remember that some of our mountain ski areas are served by Britain’s highest roads, at well over 2,000ft above sea level. This can easily be checked on the official website www.ski-scotland.com where you can also check on lifts due to open and snow conditions, with webcam images, before you leave home, or on your mobile. And if the roads north are snowbound, there’s also the chance to whet your appetite for mountain skiing or boarding, in the Central Belt of Scotland, at SNO!zone in Glasgow.”

 

 

ENDS

 

Note to editors:

·         For winter 2009/10, the 5-day all-area ski pass is only available for adults, cost £115. All five ski areas already offer good deals for children of different ages, with prices ranging from £10 for one day to £64 for 5 days, and offer family day tickets ranging from £70 to £90.

·         Owners of all-area ski passes are advised that the pass is not transferable, and they therefore may be asked to show ID at individual ski areas. Otherwise, terms and conditions of use are those applied by the ski area where the ticket is being used.

·         Winter 2008-9 attracted many people to the Scottish snowsports areas who have not visited before, or not for a long time. All the areas reported a high number of first-time visitors who normally ski or snowboard abroad – a positive spin-off from the current economic climate.

·         The number of people who skied or snowboarded in Scotland in winter 2008-9 was 159,885, worth around £4M to the snowsports centres and at least £12M to the Scottish economy.

·         Full snow and weather reports, with real-time webcam photos, can be seen in season on the official website www.ski-scotland.com

 

Last Minute Christmas and New Year Availability in Aviemore and the Cairngorms

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Hogmanay in Aviemore and the Cairngorms

Hogmanay in Aviemore and the Cairngorms

If you are thinking about coming to the beautiful Aviemore and Cairngorms area for Christmas or New Year but haven’t yet booked accommodation have a look at our last minute list of what is still available: http://www.visitcairngorms.com/ChristmasNewYearAvailability.html Demand is high for accommodation at this time so book asap. 

There is loads going on over the festive period to keep you entertained: http://www.visitcairngorms.com/december09.html 

A huge dump of snow has been predicted for this weekend so you never know we may be lucky enough to have a white Christmas….at least on the mountains and that bodes well for some great snowsports.  If snow is not your thing then there are so many other brilliant activities to enjoy throughout the area. Have a look at the huge list here: http://www.visitcairngorms.com/allactivities.html You can also visit some of Scotland’s top attractions such as the Strathspey Steam Railway, Landmark Forest Adventure Park, Highland Wildlife Park, Rothiemurchus and Alvie Estates.

Have a fantastic Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year!

From all at www.visitcairngorms.com

Special Offers on Accommodation in Aviemore and the Cairngorms

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

If you are considering a break away why not check out our special offers page on http://www.visitcairngorms.com/specialoffers Now is a great time to get away for a pre Christmas break to do some Christmas shopping and get some fresh air or even partake in some snowsports such as skiing or snowboarding at the weekends.   Get some Christmas shopping done at the Macdonalds Aviemore Highland Resorts huge ‘The Brands’ centre, or for a very unique touch Rothiemurchus Visitor Centre who will make up Christmas Hampers. There are loads of local shops and the many outdoor specialist shops thatcan cater for that special Christmas present for the outdoor enthusiast!

If you would prefer a break away over Christmas or New Year , there are some great properties with woodburners and saunas available at Silverglades in Aviemore.  Use our new Accommodation Finder to contact multiple businesses and get quotes on accommodation.

There is currently skiing at weekends on Cairngorm and as the area gets busier and hopefully more snow arrives this will become 7 days subject to weather conditions.  There are loads of Christmassy events on each weekend featuring Santa and his Reindeer – www.visitcairngorms.com/whatson

The Ptarmigan on Cairngorm Mountain

The Ptarmigan on Cairngorm Mountain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a fantastic Festive Season!