Situated just 10 minutes north of Aviemore in the little village of Carrbridge, Landmark Forest Adventure Park is a great day out for all the family.
By far our favourite ride when we’ve visited Landmark has been the Wild Water Coasters. They’re basically giant water slides that you slide down inside a dinghy boat. There are three of them; one is a twisty tunnel slide, one is a slide with a couple of bumps and falls, and the final one is a straight down to the ground from the top death slide. The thing they all have in common is that every one of them gives you that butterflies in your tummy feeling!
The Runaway Timber Train is a wee rollercoaster that I can verify 6 year olds absolutely love. Head into the Lost Labyrinth and see if you can find your way though, but be careful because there is one part where you might get absolutely soaked. We were milliseconds from it last time.
The Tarzan Trail are Ropeworx are highwire challenges where you’re fully harnessed up and safe in case you do fall, but you have to try to get through the rope courses without falling. The Tarzan Train is for those who don’t meet the height requirements of the big one, and there’s also an even smaller one for kids ages 2-5 who won’t yet be tall enough for either of the others. Having 2 young kids, this bit is fantastic because nobody gets left out.
Anyone who’s a dinosaur fan (I don’t know anyone who isn’t) will absolutely love the new dinosaur kingdom attraction. You can wander round this area and see more than 20 life-size dinosaurs who move their head, necks, arms and ‘roar’. There’s a 20 foot tall Tyrannosaurus rex, ankylosaurus, oviraptor, velociraptors, pteranodon plus loads more, and even some tiny babies hatching from eggs. My youngest was absolutely enthralled with the dinosaurs.
For those who like to get up high, there’s a climbing wall and if you head up the fire tower you’ll not only have the thrill of being up high, but the views from up there are beautiful, looking over the tall trees for miles around. There are a couple of play areas with loads of bits to climb and slide to slide down too. An area specifically for toddlers too.
Wonderwood and bamboozeleum will keep your brain working with all the optical illusions. The vortex tunnel makes you feel like you’re going to fall over and if you happen to have a tall person and a small person in your group the growing-shrinking room is absolutely hilarious. The kids favourite part of bamboozeleum was the living floor. The wee one would have spent ages in there.
My favourite part is the tropical hot house. As a bit of a plant addict, seeing how big those banana leaf and calathea plants were absolute foliage goals (and made me want a conservatory to turn into my own jungle). Normal people though will love seeing the butterflies flitting around and the cute tiny quail hiding amongst the foliage. You can see the different stages of metamorphosis and check out some bugs and beasties in here too. Great fun.
There are also nature walks around the park where if you can keeps the kids quiet and you are very lucky, you might see some red squirrels.
The Grub
There is a takeaway spot with some picnic benches in the main part of the park where you can get burgers, hotdogs, chips etc. There’s also a restaurant near the main entrance, and designated picnic areas dotted around.
The Extra Bits
- Winter opening hours and prices slightly different. The big attractions like the water slides, rollercoaster and the high wire rope courses are closed at this time. It’s still a great day out though and that tropical hothouse will give you the best heat if it’s a freezing day.
- I’ve been asked what ages Landmark would suit and, honestly I think there is something for everyone here. As a 30 something year old I loved the water slides and all the illusions as much as my 6 year old. The 3 year old had a brilliant day seeing the dinosaurs and absolutely loved the water slides and the labyrinth too.
- Landmark is very dog friendly. Dogs can be pretty much everywhere throughout the park as long as they are on the lead.
The Cost
Tickets cost £23 for adults, £21 for kids and concessions, £5 for 3 year olds, and under 3’s go free. You can also buy annual passes which are great if you’re going to visit a few times in a year. (Note: in winter season from November to February prices are reduced and some of the bigger rides including the wild water coasters and the runaway timber train are closed.)
The Verdict
If you are in Aviemore with kids, Landmark Forest Adventure Park is absolutely a must do. It is one of our favourite places we’ve visited and whether it’s summer or winter, no matter what the weather, it’s such a fun day out.
Landmark Adventure Park is situated in Carrbridge, PH23 3AJ.
