March has arrived so quickly in the Cairngorms. Being so far north means that Grantown-on-Spey’s spring is a little later than most, there are still lots of activities starting up again. We’ve got a packed round-up of things to do in our part of the national park over the next few months.
1 Get Fit for summer
With lighter and longer days, the time is right to enjoy exercise outdoors. Lucky then, that Grantown-on-Spey has a wealth of forestry tracks for walking, running, cycling and more.
Anagach Woods is a fantastic place to start. Spanning an area bigger than the town, this forest is owned and managed by the community. The tracks are well-maintained – you can take a buggy along the wider main routes – and there’s plenty to see.
The trees are home to red squirrels, deer, butterflies, and more. Look out for the bird feeder close to the Curling Club, which attracts a host of wee birds, as well as woodpeckers!
The Kylintra area is also a great choice, with spring bringing a host of ducklings to the pond.
Anagach Woods will also be part of the route for Grantown’s fun triathlon, the Try Tri on Sunday May 18. This popular annual event provides a great chance for novices to test their athletic skills. Participants swim 300m in our Craig MacLean Sports Centre, then head out on the roads of Strathspey to cycle 16km (10miles). Finally, there is a 4.8km (3mile) run through Anagach Woods.
Team entries are welcomed as well as individuals. Places are always highly sought after so head to the Try Tri website to find out more.
2 Learn a new skill
Since their move to bigger premises last year, Highland Artisans has added loads of workshops to their schedule. This spring sees them offering a huge range of handcrafts to the schedule.
Pick from copper foil stained glass, crochet, or watercolour and many more. And there’s children’s workshops running during the Easter holidays.
Visit their website to book your place now!
Or if the Great Pottery Throwdown has sparked your interest in ceramics, the Spey Bank Studio has a number of classes coming up in Spring.
Their ever popular Cairngorms Clay Club starts again on April 22, offering the chance to spend your Tuesday evening learning pottery skills with resident tutor Angus Grant. He will take you from the basics of handbuilding to glazing, via a bit of throwing.
And best of all, your pieces will be fired and glazed so that you can take them home to show off to your loved ones.
Places are limited so booking – via the Spey Bank Studio website – is essential!
Finally, you could put on your dancing shoes and join instructor James Montgomery at a host of one-off workshops.
From Footloose on Saturday March 8, to a Vogue-inspired session on April 26, to the Charleston on May 24, these are perfect for beginners.
Book your spot today!
Our top hotel, the Grant Arms, is renowned for its selection of wildlife holidays and springtime means that many species will be out enjoying the warmer weather.
Highlights of the hotel’s programme include a chance to spend four days watching the birds 0 including the spectacular black grouse lek. Or you could join naturalist Nick Baker and photographer Nick Wilcox-Brown to learn how to find and photograph Scottish beasties.
Or you can join Nick Baker again a few weeks later for a few days of looking for summer breeding birds that are returning north. Hoped for sightings include ptarmigan, snow bunting, and black and red grouse.
Check out the Grant Arms Hotel events page for more information about the holidays and how to book your spot.
4 Tap into your creativity
Grantown has an abundance of creative talent and in May, some of our creative community will open their doors to the public and share their work.
Some 15 artists and makers are taking part in Grantown Open Studios on May 2-5, a new event for 2025.
There’s a leaflet with a map now circulating to help you explore their workspaces, which are often in their own homes.
Painters, ceramicists and photographers are all included so there’s something for everyone to enjoy. And you can make a day of your tour by enjoying our wonderful Grantown hospitality – find the perfect snack in our eating guide.
5 Catch up with the movies
Our wee cinema is one of our best-kept secrets. Housed in the YM Community Centre, it seats 47 people and is a perfect place for meetings , talks and lectures as well as seeing some of the best films ever made.
This month, organisers are holding a fundraising quiz on Saturday March 15 so that you can test your film knowledge.
The next big screening is on Saturday April 19. British actor Kate Winslet acts in and produced Lee, about the life of the legendary war photographer Lee Miller. Miller started her career as a model for Vogue but switched tracks to become a war correspondent during World War II.
Book your tickets – and your quiz table – on the cinema’s website now.
6 Keep on trucking
After a short hiatus in 2024, Truck In2 Grantown is back for 2025.
This popular event showcases dozens of trucks – old and new – at the showfield on the outskirts of Grantown on Saturday May 10. Organisers are already reporting lots of bookings so it’s looking like a busy day.
There will also be selection of stalls, a funfair, bouncy castle and a licensed bar.
And there will be a special night-time concert at the Royal British Legion to celebrate the end of the show. Music will be provided by Highland rock band, Cadence.
7 Taste Scotland’s national drink
The end of April brings a chance to celebrate Scotland’s national drink – the Spirit of Speyside Festival.
Events will be taking place across Moray from April 30 – May 5, with distilleries opening their doors to whisky aficionados for tastings, masterclasses and more.
Lucky for us, that there are a few events in Grantown as well.
The Cairn Distillery will launch it limited edition CRN57 Step 3 on the first day of the festival. On May 1, there’s a brilliant chance to join master blender Stuart Urquhart and have a go at making your own blend.
The distillery will team up with the Speyside Hotel on Saturday May 3 for a grand dinner to makr the new blend.
The hotel is also at the heart of a number of festival events in its own right. Glenallachie will provide whisky tasting on Thursday May 1, with the Whyte & Mackay mystery dinner takes place on Friday May 2.
Torabhaig will host two barbecues there on Wednesday April 30 and Sunday May 4
Or you could sample Angel’s Nectar at a special dinner at The Wee Puffin on the final night, Sunday May 4. The company’s owner, Robert Ransom, will introduce a number of his products, accompanied by the restaurant’s wholesome food.
Finally, you can take a peek inside Tormore Distillery, a prominent landmark on the A95 Grantown to Keith Road. The open day starts at 12pm on Saturday May 3.
The distillery is also challenging visitors to join a special treasure hunt in the warehouse from 11am the same day.
Check out the full list on the Spirit of Speyside website to book your tickets!
8 Grease lightning at the Garth
The Garth Hotel has something for pop fans – an evening of cheesy pop!
Grease v Dirty Dancing will showcase the best tunes from these two beloved movies. And best of all, you can get dinner, bed and breakfast AND enjoy the event for £139.
There’s an earlier chance to dance the night away on Saturday March 29, when The Jersey Trio celebrate the music of the Jersey Boys.
Tickets for the events can be booked by contacting the hotel on 01479 787900.
9 Get on your bike
And finally, we’re going full circle – back to the outdoors and a spot of exercise.
The inaugural Grantown Cycling Festival runs from April 8-13, organised by The Grantown Society.
The event will include displays of historic bikes, a ‘decorate a bike’ competition and a session on bike maintenance.
There will also be a chance to map routes around Grantown and go for gravel rides and road rides.
More information is available from The Grantown Society and the Grantown Hub.
Show us your Grantown spring on by tagging @discovergrantown on Facebook and Instagram!
