Aviemore lies at the heart of the Strathspey and Badenoch area and is now regarded as Scotland's top outdoor leisure & activity location.

With the Cairngorms as a magnificent backdrop, the area has something for every visitor, including the Highlands only Steam Railway.

There are excellent views of the Cairngorms from Aviemore, especially from the footbridge at the railway station

Aviemore originally developed as a small village after the opening of the Inverness & Perth Junction Railway in 1863.

The development of the Aviemore Centre in the 1960s put Aviemore on the map as a year round tourist destination, with purpose built leisure facilities.

By the early 1970s, over a million visitors were visiting Aviemore annually, mainly because of the Centre and the other tourist developments.

Much of the original centre was demolished in the 1990s and today Aviemore is currently experiencing further growth with new Accommodation, Retail and Fuel Station providing more choice for visitors.

However, it's the lochs, ancient forests, mountain trails, ski slopes and the abundance of wildlife in the Spey Valley that visitors want to view and explore.

This map will assist you plan your visit to the Spey Valley and no visit to this area is complete without traveling through it onboard a Strathspey Railway steam train.

Departing Platform 3 of Aviemore Railway Station the Strathspey Railway runs a service of three trains each timetabled day from April to October with an extra dining train on Friday evening and for Sunday lunch.

The Railway is the most northerly steam hauled preserved line in the British Isles, kept running by a dedicated group of Volunteers and paid staff, all with the common goal of restoring the railway back to Grantown on Spey and recreating a working branch line of the 1950's.

You can assist the railway to reach this goal by visiting our Rails to Grantown project web site to learn more about restoring the line. The railway recently restored the oldest Black 5 steam locomotive in preservation and you can help keep this locomotive running by donating to its continued upkeep at the 5025 website.

There are events throughout the year on the railway including our Steam Fair in July and our very popular Stanta Express and Mince Pie special trains in December and early January.

The Strathspey Railway is a not-for-profit organisation and relies entirely on ticket sales, shop sales, catering and generous donations for its funding.

Every penny goes towards ensuring the Scottish Highlands has a steam railway it can be proud of for generations to come.

The majority of the Strathspey Railway’s workforce are Volunteers who give their time, skill, knowledge and experience to ensure the railway functions day by day and continues to develop and prosper.

Volunteering opportunities are endless, no matter how much or how little time or skill you can donate.

If you are unable to volunteer practically through distance or other commitments you can still support and be part of the railway by becoming a member of the Strathspey Railway Association.

The Strathspey Railway’s long term ambition has always been to re-open its line all the way from Aviemore to Grantown-on-Spey, thus putting the Capital of Strathspey back on the railway map and providing its passengers with a destination as well as a journey.

The Strathspey Railway Charitable Trust was established by the railway to deliver this goal by extending the line from its present northern terminus (Broomhill) through to Grantown-on-Spey - hence the project title "Rails to Grantown".

As well as giving the Strathspey Railway’s passengers a destination and not just a train journey, studies have shown that the project will bring more visitors and significant economic benefits to Grantown.

To find out what is currently happening and how you can help bring this exciting project to fruition, visit railstograntown.co.uk