Cairngorms National Park

The Cairngorms National Park opened officially last month so I thought we could pick out what we believe to be just some of the highlights.

The park is the brainchild of Liz Hanna, the great-great-granddaughter of national park 'godfather' John Muir, who was behind Yosemite and Yellowstone parks in the States, and has been set up to "conserve and enhance the area's unique natural and cultural heritage" as well as attract people of all backgrounds.

It's made up of three different areas; The Cairngorm range, Speyside and Deeside. Here's how to get the very best out of each area.

The Cairngorm range

Coming from the Gaelic An Carn Gorm, meaning the blue hill, the Cairngorms offer some of the most dramatic scenery in the world, with loads to do both in and outdoors.

The range is a paradise for skiers, snowboarders, ice climbers and mountaineers, with things look set to get off to a good start this year with the first snowfall already (remarkable given the summer we've had).

There are plenty of opportunities to admire the area's wildlife, with red squirrels or even wildcats to be seen on one of Glenmore and Abernethy forest parks' cycling and walking trails. Birdwatchers will love the RSPB's Loch Garten nature reserve, where ospreys breed every year.

For a less taxing way of admiring the scenery, there's the new funicular railway near Aviemore that will take you up the Cairn Gorm itself. At the end of the 8 minute journey is The Ptarmigan Restaurant, Scotland's highest restaurant, with incredible views of the stunning panorama across the Spey Valley and beyond.

Speyside

The River Spey meanders through some of Scotland's most breathtaking countryside, known best to some for its whisky heritage, to others for its salmon fishing, and to others still as the setting for the BBC series Monarch of the Glen.

There are two great ways of seeing the area: the healthy way or the lazy way. The former is via walking the beautiful long distance path the Speyside Way; the latter by taking a trip on the Strathspey Steam Railway, where you can admire the scenery from an antique carriage behind a steam locomotive.

Whisky fans will no doubt be aware of all the Speyside distilleries, where you can get guided tours to see how the area's peat-rich burn water helps make some of the world's best whisky. Glenlivet Distillery in Glenlivet is one of the 7 Speyside distilleries in the Malt Whisky Trail.

Deeside

With its forests, heathery hillsides, mountain slopes, snug villages and sublime riverside scenery, it's easy to see why Queen Victoria fell in love with the area, persuading Prince Albert to buy Balmoral Castle in 1852.

Its other prime attractions are Braemar, where the Highland games were held recently, and Mar Lodge Estate, which offers excellent guided walks including red deer watching. The area's most stunning site is the Linn of Dee, where the Dee plunges through a dramatic gorge. The walk up Glen Doll and down Glen Clova is also said to offer a good chance of spotting a golden eagle.

If you're visiting Deeside, don't forget to re-read our article from Issue 2 on places with a Royal connection.

All in all, with the combination of world-class beauty, a wide variety of activities, and all in an accessible location, the park looks set to become a popular destination both now and for many generations to come.

Cottages relevant to this article

The following holiday cottages are situated within easy reach of the locations mentioned above:

Loch Garten Nature Reserve - Fasgadh Na Drochit, (slps 4/5) Nethybridge, few miles from Loch Garten
Funicular Railway near Aviemore - Knappach Cottage, Kingussie (slps 8) approx 10 miles from Kingussie
Monarch of the Glen - Lynaberach Cottage, Kingussie (slps 6)
Glenlivet Distillery - Corrunich, Tomintoul (slps 2) approx 9 miles from Glenlivet
Balmoral Castle - Knock Cottage, Easter Balmoral (slps 4/6) approx 2 miles from Balmoral Castle)