Welcome to Craggan Outdoors, one of the UK's leading outdoor activity centres, based in beautiful Speyside in the Cairngorms National Park.
Offering one of the widest ranges of outdoor activities available in the Scottish Highlands, Craggan Outdoors serves groups from two to sixty-plus people, either as day visitors for activities, or residential packages with bunkhouse accommodation. Bunkhouse and bothy are also available for group hire, separate to the activities. Our licensed Clubhouse Cafe welcomes all visitors, whether doing activities or just stopping in for a meal or a drink.
Craggan Outdoors is AALA licensed, and ended 2009 as TripAdvisor.com's top-rated 'thing to do' in Scotland, and also their top-rated outdoor centre for the UK as a whole. Craggan Outdoors was also the only activity centre to be shortlisted for 'Best Visitor Experience' in the prestigious Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards 2009.
What we're all about: At Craggan Outdoors the emphasis is on offering easy access to a wide range of fun and challenging activities, enabling visitors of all ages and abilities to enjoy their time with us, and to be pleased with what they have achieved. With the majority of activities available on-site - minimising your time spent travelling and helping minimise our impact on the environment - instructors that are chosen for their people skills as much as their technical abilities, bright and spacious bunkhouse and cosy bothy accommodation, as well as a welcoming licensed cafe, Craggan Outdoors provides everything required by the activity seeking visitor.
What can you do? Activities include archery, clay pigeon, climbing (indoor bouldering and outside crags), golf, gorge walking, high ropes, kayaking, massage, mini-quads, mountain biking, paintball, pony trekking, quad treks, raft building, River Spey canoe trips, team-building, white water rafting, yoga and a zip wire.
Who can visit? Craggan Outdoors work with a wide range of customer groups, including families and friends, schools, colleges and universities, community groups and charities, clubs and societies, stag and hen parties, and corporate groups. If you want a guarantee of fantastic outdoor activity experiences in a beautiful environment, then Craggan Outdoors is for you! Visit our website to find out more. We look forward to welcoming you!
Activities available
White water rafting
Fancy the mild or the wild? For those that want the thrills of a series of grade 4-5 rapids, then our day trips on the River Findhorn - the UK's best white water rafting river - are the thing for you! The Findhorn is one of Scotland's last wild rivers, and dependant upon recent rainfall or snow-melt, offers a choice of three different sections to raft. Whilst a great trip is guaranteed at any time of year, high water flows can turn it into a truly world-class rafting experience!
For those that want something that offers a little gentler an introduction to rafting, then our trips on the River Spey are a more leisurely and relaxed half-day journey that suit families, school and youth groups, or anybody that likes to take life a little easier. Just drift along and enjoy the ride through the stunning scenery of Scotland's most famous salmon river, sharing the river with abundant birds and other wildlife. There are sufficient minor rapids with waves, eddies and converging currents to add a little additional excitement to the trip.
The Findhorn trips are suited to anybody over the age of 12 with a reasonable degree of fitness. The Spey trip can be taken by anybody over 3 years of age. Wetsuits, buoyancy aids and helmets are provided on both trips. Pricing is from £45 per person for the half-day Spey trips, and from £75 per person for the full day Findhorn trip. Minimum group size for both trips is six people, with a maximum of 28.
Rock Climbing
Craggan Outdoors offer a great range of climbing options, suitable for everybody from the complete novice, those that are keen to extend their climbing abilities, to more experienced climbers that wish to be guided on various crags across Strathspey and the Moray Firth coast. Our indoor wall is the perfect environment for learning the basic techniques just a few feet off the ground. Nearby is an excellent crag for those that wish to learn or extend their skills outside, and offers the bonus of a 70 foot abseil!
Our experienced instructor-guides can also lead small groups on tailor-made climbing trips across the Highlands. All equipment is provided. Price per person is from £26 indoors and £34 outdoors. Talk to us about how and where you'd like to hit the heights!
Paintball
Bring your friends for an energetic and adrenaline-fuelled morning or afternoon of paintball warfare. Our 100% natural purpose-designed battlefield is set amongst the Scots Pine forests of the Cairngorms National Park, just minutes from Aviemore.
Suited to groups from a minimum number of six, up to a maximum of 30 people, you will be split into 'clans' and then play out a number of different game scenarios over a 2-3 hour period. Who will prove to be the bravest? Who's the most tactically astute? Who's a crack shot sniper? Who's just a sitting duck?
Prices are from £26 per person and include all safety equipment, the gun and an initial supply of 200 paintballs. Further balls can be purchased during the game for £8 per 100.
Quad biking
We've been told by many people that our quad treks are the best in the area. Using our full automatic 125cc and 150cc quads, your instructor will take you on a 60 or 90 minute trek around the tracks of the Glenbeg Estate, taking in a variety of terrain. Highlights include the fantastic views to the Cairngorms and Cromdale Hills, and time spent on our superb technical/skills track. No just riding round a field or woods at Craggan Outdoors!
As well as the quad itself, helmets and gloves will of course be provided. All we ask of you is that you wear appropriate clothing for the time of year, although for safety reasons, long trousers, long sleeves and enclosed shoes are a must all year round.
The minimum age for quad treks is 12 years but please note that any under-18 that takes one of our treks must be accompanied by an adult that is responsible for them. Price per person is from £34 for the 60 minute trek, and £51 for the 90 minute session
Children aged between six and eleven will love our 50cc mini quads! At Craggan Outdoors we have a purpose-built fully enclosed track which gives a challenging but safe environment for youngsters to experience the thrill of having control of their own 'motorbike'.
Having been fitted with helmet and gloves, your child will be given a familiarisation of the quad and how to ride it safely, a few laps around our small trainer circuit in order that we can ensure that they are safely in control of the machine, before they then have the opportunity to ride laps of the larger main track.
In order to be able to experience our mini quads, children must be between 6 and 11 years of age, subject to a maximum weight of 40kg / 6 stone 4lbs, & for safety reasons must be wearing enclosed shoes, long trousers and long sleeves. Price per child is £12 for 15 minutes.
Mini quads are also a great idea as a focus for birthday parties. We can provide the venue, the entertainment and the catering, so get in touch if you wish to give your child a party to remember!
Mountain biking
We are lucky at Craggan Outdoors to have the beautiful Glenbeg Estate as our base and backdrop. The estate offers great mountain biking terrain, either using the estate tracks for a longer scenic trip, with views across to the Cairngorms and Cromdale Hills as a highlight, or woodland for a more concentrated technical session.
Either way your instructor will guide your way on our Ridgeback bikes, and we guarantee that you'll love the experience. We also offer longer guided trips on local trails, or if you fancy doing your own thing, bike hire is also available by the half-day or day. Price per person for guided sessions is from £19.
Bike hire is £16 for a half day and £25 for a full day. Trail maps are available to purchase.
Kayaking
If you fancy having a dabble with a paddle, Craggan Outdoors offer the perfect place for a taster session for the beginner. Our on-site teaching pond is a just few yards from the changing room, and the still shallow water presents a safe environment for our qualified instructors to lead sessions for the novice or occasional paddler.
Once you've mastered the basics, how about trying our seal launch for an exciting re-entry to the water? Our instructors can also lead more advanced sessions for the more experienced paddler, or can take guided sessions on various local rivers, from a scenic paddle down the River Spey, to a Grade 4 challenge on the Feshie or Findhorn. Price per person is from just £19.
Aerial assault course
Our on-site high ropes course provides an excellent self-contained activity for any group, from family and friends, through school and youth groups, corporate team building, right up to the local RAF station who use it most weeks.
A combination of individual and small group/team challenges, you work your way round a series of apparatus that includes the Indiana Jones bridge (pictured), the double balance beams, Jacob's Ladder, crate stack - the record is 16! - and finally, dare you make the Leap of Faith?! We reckon that you will. All safety equipment is provided. Price per person is from just £20.
Clay pigeon shooting
Clay shooting is a particular favourite with corporate groups and also with stag groups, but it is a surprisingly easy activity for almost anybody from teenage years upwards to try. Tuition is provided and you'll likely surprise yourself at how quickly you are successful in hitting the clays. Shotgun, cartridges and ear defenders are of course all provided.
We also think about our neighbours ears and the environment. Our clay shooting takes place in a natural bowl amongst pine woodland, which absorbs much of the noise of the shot. We also use cartridges with a biodegradable fibre wad, rather than the cheaper plastic wad. Price per person for 25 shots is from £32. Come along and have a shot!
Canoeing
Craggan Outdoors is bordered by the world famous River Spey, so it would be something of a crime not to include it amongst our activities. There can be few better ways to spend a morning, afternoon or full day than sitting in canoes with your family or friends, paddling and drifting down a majestic river like the Spey.
The great thing about Craggan Outdoors' location is that our river access means that we only have to drop off you, your instructor and the canoes to start your trip, and you can then take your time to reach the finish point at Craggan Sands, just a short walk across the golf course back to our changing rooms and Clubhouse Café. Price per person for a half-day trip is from £36.
Archery
Archery is one of those activities that people 'discover' at Craggan Outdoors. It's great fun and the majority of people can demonstrate an aptitude for archery when they get the chance to try it. At Craggan Outdoors it is the classic 'turn up and have a go' activity.
Our range of bows are suited for use by anybody from an 8-9 year old through to the largest adult. We use shatter-proof aluminium arrows, and if required provide protective finger and arm guards. All we ask of you is that ideally you wear a long sleeve top.
Your minimum 1 hour session will be led by a qualified Archery Leader. Price per person is from just £16. Go on, give it a try!
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