Family Friendly Outings when staying at Garmoran Square
Family Friendly Outings when staying at Garmoran Square
Family friendly Outings when at Garmoran Square
We are often asked that we would recommend for families to do when staying at Garmoran Square, so here is our family friendly outing recommendations – tried and tested by young Master MacDonald!
Turing right out of Garmoran an into Moidart -
The now world famous Jacobite Steam Train from Fort William to Mallaig https://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/jacobite-steam-train-details.cfm. This is extremely popular and booking in advance is a must. However you can travel on the railway using the Scotrail train, which generally has cleaner windows to see the beautiful scenery with and you get to see the steam train if you time your journey right.
Once in Mallaig there are shops and restaurants to visit or just watch the ferries coming in from Skye and the small Isles with an ice-cream. Mallaig swimming pool for rainy days – If driving on your way to Mallaig why not stop off at Camusdarach beach - http://www.mallaigleisure.org.uk/
For any Harry Potter fan’s Mallaig now has Hagrid’s Alley to visit.
Turing left out of Garmoran and in to Ardnamurchan -
Heading down the Ardnamurchan Peninsula about half way along there is the Ardnmurchan Natural History Visitor Centre with the living building for children to explore and the Lochview tearoom for treats. – Note not open on a Saturday. https://ardnamurchannaturalhistorycentre.com/
For Mum’s and Dad’s the Ardnamurchan Distillery is just across the road! http://www.adelphidistillery.com/
At the end of the peninsula is the lighthouse and visitors centre – the most westerly point on the British mainland. http://ardnamurchanlighthouse.com/
For fun at the beach Sanna Bay is a must if you had made it all the way down to the end of the peninsula.
In Kilchoan there is a lovely community playpark next door to the community hall that hosts a tearoom.
If you enjoy ferry rides why not jump on the Kilcohan to Tobermory ferry as a foot passengers and arrive in Tobermory (famed as the town that hosted Balamory). Lots of brightly coloured houses and nice little shops – plus a small aquarium at the harbour /marina building. https://www.calmac.co.uk/tobermory-kilchoan-ardnamurchan-mull-ferry-summer-timetable
http://www.mullaquarium.co.uk/
Some of our favourite walks in the area -
Sunart Oakwood walks – all around the area you will see Sunart Oakwood Forrest signs with carparks, where you can stop of and take a walk. Walks vary from 1km to 15-18km. Between Strontian and Acharacle a couple of our favourites which are not very long – The Wildlife Hide at Garbh Eileen and Saliean nan Cuileag where you pass lots of fairy toadstools on your way around the path!
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/ardairigh.shtml
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/saileannancuileag.shtml
Beaches -
For fun in the sand, collecting crabs, rockpool exploring and making seaweed pictures or just collecting shells we have some great beaches locally. Our favourites – The beach at Dorlin which is also home to the ruin of Castle Tioram – note Castle Tioram is cut off by the tide so just keep an eye on a rising tide. Ardtoe for white sand, Glenuig Samalaman beach not the biggest but great views, easy access from the car and sheltered. Camus Torsa, a great pebble beach and good for rockpools
On really rainy days where Mum or Dad maybe just want to put the fire on and curl up on the sofa with a good book, these can be great days to bake. We always enjoy having a baking day on holiday so that there are treats for all the family. To that end the kitchens are well equipped with scales, bowls, baking trays and food mixers plus plastic plates, bowls and cups for the wee people in the family.