Are you coming to the Cairngorms in October? Looking for some pretty leaves to peep or pumpkins to pick? Here is a rundown of seasonal activities in the Badenoch and Strathspey area of the Highlands.
My husband has a Scrooge-like hot take for just about any season. Pumpkins, he has just declared, are a masterclass in marketing: how to take something that is terrible and turn it into something that people want. Does he have a point? I am personally so far down the pumpkin sales funnel that I’m not sure I can objectively say.
So far this season I have had: the Starbucks pumpkin bread (year-round acceptable IMO); the Trader Joes white chocolate and pumpkin spice-coated espresso beans (IDK, they were giving them out to exhausted parents at the little boys’ day care); and, let’s be honest, a litany of other Trader Joes-sourced pumpkin products because the entire store practically turns orange at this time of year.
Pumpkin bagels, pumpkin and pecan blondies, pumpkin and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, pumpkin spice swirl brioche … Yum, yum, yum and yum. No complaints here. Oh and we also carved one way too early (it festered in the Houston heat and became a real-life Halloween horror show of fire ants and fruit flies) and bought a bunch of warty gourds to decorate inside.
I did draw the line at pumpkin spice hummus. (See? Boundaries!)
Anyway, pumpkins — it seems — have made it to Nethy Bridge! I can just imagine the side eye, or even the eyes-forward incredulity. ‘What’s wrong with a neep?!’ (i.e. turnip, the old school Halloween carving vegetable of choice in Scotland).
To which I say everything. Everything was wrong with attempting to carve a vegetable with a consistency close to that of a rock. I would like to see stats on the number of fingers lost to this fruitless pursuit. You were lucky if you got a well deep enough for a nightlight and an eye hole or two for it to flicker from!
So, no thanks: let’s leave the neeps to the sheeps. (Ha! My new campaign slogan!) And let’s lean into the eminently more carveable American import that also happens to be delicious. (Or is it? Honestly, my taste buds are so singed with cinnamon at this point that I have no idea.)
Here are some of our favourite autumnal activities in the area ... pumpkins optional!
Nethy Bridge Pumpkin Patch
Thu–Sat, 13–29 October 2022
Tomdhu, back road from Nethy Bridge to Boat of Garten
New for this year: that quintessential New England tradition has made its way to Nethy, with the pick of the crop for carving your own as well as freshly-made sausage rolls, pies and pumpkin soup to warm you up while you wander. Tickets and additional info available here.
Pick-Your-Own Apples and Pears
September and October
Wester Hardmuir Farm
There’s nearly always something to pick at this working fruit farm about a 45-minute drive from Nethy Bridge near Nairn. In September you can usually find brambles and plums, but pears and apples continue late into October. They also have a large pumpkin patch and playground, and serve delicious coffee and pressed apple juice from their shop. Check their Facebook page for the latest harvest information.
Woodland Walks
September to November
Nethy River Walk, Nethy Bridge
Anagach Woods, Grantown-on-Spey
Loch an Eilein, Rothiemurchus
Many of our waymarked forested walks feature the evergreen Caledonian pines, but a few — such as the Anagach Woods on the edge of Grantown, or the Loch an Eilein loop on the Rothiemurchus estate, or our own path along the River Nethy — also have an array of colourful deciduous trees too. All of these routes include views of water and foliage, with ample parking and access for wheelchairs and prams/strollers.
Autumn Light Sessions
Catriona Parmenter Photography
Your choice of location in Nethy Bridge and the surrounding area
If I were heading to the Highlands with my family this month, there is only one photographer I would choose to capture the memories. Catriona Parmenter uses her camera to document the most meaningful connections between people and place. Her glorious colours and textures are especially on point in this season of crunchy leaves and golden glow. Even if you find her fully booked during your visit (likely) she is just wrapping up a two-week exhibition at the Spey Bank Studio, and has an online shop coming soon featuring prints of local flora.
Guising
Towns and villages throughout the area
Halloween Night
You won’t hear many of the locals talking about trick-or-treating if you happen to be here for Halloween. In Scotland, this tradition is known as ‘guising’ (from ‘disguising’) — originally believed to be a means to hide in plain sight from all the other evil spirits out and about on the 31st. And so the words ‘trick or treat’ aren’t a feature of this door-knocking tradition; instead, the children perform a joke or song and are rewarded for their efforts.
Boat of Garten Pumpkin Trail
Deshar Woods, behind Boat of Garten Community Hall
5.30pm–7.30pm, 31 October 2022
If you think you can see eerie flickers of light coming from the Deshar Woods on Halloween night, no: your eyes are not deceiving you. Be afraid ... be very afraid! Now an annual tradition, for one night only the trail behind the community hall is lit by a palooza of pumpkins, glow sticks and probably a turnip or two from the sticklers in our midst! You can submit your own creation at 4:30pm on the day. More details here.
Outdoor Adventure Days for Kids
Various vendors
Throughout the October holidays
‘There’s no such thing as bad weather … only bad clothing choices!’ Uttered many an autumnal parent as they cram their cabin-feverish family into layers of gore-tex and fleece. Especially if your visit coincides with the local school holidays, you will find many organised and chaperoned day camps for children — none of which have a ‘rain’ plan … so dress them accordingly! Two great options are Active Spirit and Roots and Shoots, both held at various spots throughout the Cairngorms National Park close to Badenoch and Strathspey.
Autumn Bingo!
Printable (below)
Local roads around Nethy Bridge
But what if the raincoats are still soaked from yesterday and the protests are approaching popular opinion? Then how about this: if your seasonal spirits have been dampened by wet weather, why not bundle everyone into the car, grab a round of Nethy House hot chocolates to go and head out for a driving tour of the area ... with a game of seasonal bingo as a bonus? The prize could be a pumpkin ... just sayin.
Autumn is a beautiful time to visit Aviemore and the Cairngorms. While the school holidays in Scotland — spanning all but the first week of October — are often considered ‘high’ season, there are significantly fewer visitor numbers compared to other high seasons such as summer. You may not get a ‘deal’ on your accommodation, but you will reap the benefits of wide open spaces and fewer encounters with crowds at the most popular visitor attractions.
Do you have a turnip-carving incident to share? Or perhaps a pathological objection to the pumpkin? Comment below ... apparently I’m compiling data.
Comments