Any tips on places to see and things to do in and around Inverness. I will be driving and staying in the Aviemore area. Would like to take a tour on a steam engine train, a ferry and see as much as humanly possible. On a tight budget.

Not many ferries or steam trains near Aviemore. The nearest steam trains are at Alford near Aberdeen. there is a railway museum and they run short excursion trains. You can take a short ferry across from Cromarty on the Black Isle to Nigg.<BR><BR>Things to see within a reasonable drive of Aviemore - Grantown-on-Spey for Whisky distilleries, Culloden, Clava Cairns, Cawdor Castle, Brodie Castle, Nairn, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, Fort George, the Black Isle and the Bottle nose dolphins, Strathpfeffer, Blair Athol, Pitlochry, and for a loooooong day trip at visit to Skye.

I'll answer fully from home; but just to correct Janis, there is the steam train at Boat of Garten, in easy striking distance. The date you're going to be there would be useful information

Oops - Sheila is correct. I forgot about Boat of Garten. sorry.

The Isle of Skye would make a long day trip, however, it was the highlight of our trip a few years ago.

Take a train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and back, just for the trip.

check out MacBackpackers.com if you want budget travel. They tavel on a 15 person bus and stay at inexpensive hostels around Scotland and do really fun stuff every day. I had a FANTASTIC time doing it last year. They depart and arrive in Edinburgh on 3,5, or 7 day excersions. Forget the car!!

Keith, would you email me about that in detail, if you kept notes, please? This issue comes up a lot with people asking which of the companies are better than which; and that's certainly the most rining endoresemnt I've seen. I've not heard of the company before, tho@

Sorry for that slight hijacking of your thread, Yvonne.<BR><BR>Here are some suggestions for the area<BR><BR>Starting from the southeast end of "speyside" you would be in Tomintoul, which claims to be Scotland’s highest village. There is a Whisky Shop here which is worth waiting for, for your whisky purchases. The recently opened A'nside studio next door, is also worth a visit.<BR><BR>Go on to Dufftown. This is the start of the Whisky Trail. Pick a distillery, any distillery…. Actually they do not all do tours, but lots do. Glenfiddich is pretty naff as malt whiskies go, but it does have a nifty tour. Other local distilleries include Glenlivet (which is better than Strathisla anyway) and Cardhu. But honestly; do one; not 2 or 3. <BR><BR>Your route should then be Craigellachie, Aberlour, Grantown along the mighty Spey. Then go up to Nethy Bridge and visit the Osprey Centre at Loch Garten then go into the Forest at Abernethy or Rothiemurchus. The road goes past Rothiemurchus, which is worth stopping at, and hits the main north road at Aviemore, which is NOT my favourite town in the Highlands. I’ll add more later. <BR><BR>Back on Speyside take the steamtrain at Boat of Garten. Other things to do in the area include the Highland Wildlife Park, and the Landmark Centre. Go down to Kingussie and see the Wade barracks at Ruthven. Posh for dinner is the Cross at Kingussie. <BR><BR>As to a ferry, well, as has been said, you're quite far away from the sea. A mega day trip would be to drive to Mallaig, take the ferry to Skye, drive up through Sleat and come back over the bridge and up to Inverness and home<BR><BR>The advice above about the train journey from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh is very good. You could do it from Aviemore with a connection in Inverness.<BR><BR>Hope this helps. Come back for more if you want

Thank you all for the useful information.

I'm sorry that I have nothing to add. My wife and I will go to Europe, etc next year in June and have booked a timeshare place at Aviemore, as part of our first trip to Scotland. Looking at the map, we thought we would drive to Skye (perhaps stay overnight), do day-trips to Inverness, sail on the Loch Ness, climb Ben Nevis. We also would like to visit Sterling. However, I am wondering if there will be enough to do at Aviemore and whether we would be better to do a 3-day Macbackers tour. Where would be a good place to stay for a week instead of Aviemore?

Jim: I usually advise my friends to not stay in Aviemore (there are several time share resorts there). It is basically a ski resort area that has developed summer activities just like ski resorts in the states do. Besides hill walking and mountain climbing, the main activities right at Aviemore are created recreation-type things.<BR><BR>BUT - if you have already gotten a condo there, you might as well keep it. You will be driving distance to hundreds of things from Dufftown to Grantown on Spey to Cawdor to Culloden, to the Black Isle to Loch Ness to Skye (a long day trip) to Blair Athol to Royal Deeside to Huntly to, to, to <BR><BR>You will enjoy your stay.

Thank you for the advice, Janis. Someone has mentioned a bus trip from Inverness to the Orkney Islands, departing 8am, as being his best experience. Would you recommend? How expensive? Does this appeal to Yvonne?

I have been to Orkney and love it - but personally would not consider the day trip. There is SO much to see nearby that you won't have time for all of it even w/o taking a full day out for an Orkney trip.<BR><BR>You need more than a few hours to get any feel for the Orkneys - and the bus trip from Inverness to Thurso is over 100 miles (times 2 for the return trip) plus the round trip ferry you are spending 6-7 hours of the day just in transit.<BR><BR>Save the time and agony of the long coach rides

I meant to add that 100 miles doesn't sound all that far to most Americans. Heck, we might go that far for lunch.<BR><BR>But in northern Scotland 100 miles is about the equivilent of 300 miles at home - there are no motorways or divided highways - mostly just narrow 2-lane roads (and SOME 1 lane roads)

Jim,<BR>I am staying at the Hilton-Coylumbridge in Aviemore as part of a timeshare. I plan to stay in and around Inverness and follow the advice that has been given to me. This is my first time in Scotland and hope to return several times and take an area at a time. I would like to do the B&B tours next time. The timeshares are too restricting for me.