UKC

Braemar. ..

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 Flinticus 17 Jan 2016
The Cairnwell Ski resort jam packed with thousands. I finish my walking at 5.30pm and head into Braemar. Everything closed bar the Co-op and Braemar Lodge Hotel! There I was, expecting somewhere at least as alive as Aviemore, and a decent bar. Christ, the place was dead. I may as well have been looking for water on the moon. You'd expect some kinda post - ski and outdoors scene.
 Dauphin 18 Jan 2016
In reply to Flinticus.

Dour. Good to see nothings changed since I spent a week in a cottage there in Jan 2003. Don't bother yourself, nothing faintly edible or quaffable in the limited hostelries from Monday to Friday 9-5. Scottish winter tourism, Simon Pegg could star in a film based on falling into this time warp circa 1975.

D
 Robert Durran 18 Jan 2016
In reply to Flinticus:

> There I was, expecting somewhere at least as alive as Aviemore.

God forbid.........
 pneame 18 Jan 2016
In reply to Flinticus:
Good to here there are some standards. It was exactly like that in the 70s

 pebbles 18 Jan 2016
In reply to Dauphin:

lovely little town with a nice pub, enough decent local shops to self cater and quiet atmosphere. if you want neon lit pizza bars stick to aviemore, horses for courses, not everyone wants big screen sports and jaegerbombs
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 OwenM 18 Jan 2016
In reply to pebbles:

> lovely little town with a nice pub,

It's shut, closed for a year for refurbishment!

 pebbles 18 Jan 2016
In reply to OwenM:

I do like people who appreciate a long weekend
Jim C 18 Jan 2016
In reply to Flinticus:
I was in the Bothy Cafe (next to the outdoor shop on Saturday) , not sure what their Sunday times are though. I think they are flexible if it is busy they stay open later.

There is also a small Hotel just up the road towards the Campsite near/opposite side of the road to the Hostel , not sure again if it would have been open.
Post edited at 12:09
 alan moore 18 Jan 2016
In reply to Flinticus:

There'll be no welcome in these hillsides!
It is a grim little town, though it did have a chip shop the last time I went.
One Aviemore is enough though!
 girlymonkey 18 Jan 2016
In reply to OwenM:

There is a pub and food available in the Braemar Lodge Hotel.
I like that it is quiet and understated, Aviemore is an awful town in a nice location! It would be very sad if Braemar became like Avimore
 OwenM 18 Jan 2016
In reply to girlymonkey:

It's the Fife Arms that's closed for a year. Braemar Lodge wasn't open over new year not sure whether that was due to the floods or it was just not open. Wouldn't want another Aviemore but they could make more of the passing trade that they have.
OP Flinticus 18 Jan 2016
In reply to pebbles:
> lovely little town with a nice pub, enough decent local shops to self cater and quiet atmosphere. if you want neon lit pizza bars stick to aviemore, horses for courses, not everyone wants big screen sports and jaegerbombs

Where's the nice pub? All local shops were closed and there wasn't even a chippy open. The Braemar Lodge Hotel was open. Bar for residents and overpriced old school restaurant was empty. I'm not looking for pizza bars but something like The Old Bridge Inn, The Inveroran Hotel, The Clachaig. A walkers / climbers pub, a place to shake the snow from your beard. Even a Kingshouse or that pub at Tyndrum. Somewhere were the living gather. FWIW I don't do jaegerbombs and or big screen sports but would like a bit of a buzz. It was under kickdown. I expected rifles poked through shuttered windows.
Post edited at 12:47
 Dauphin 18 Jan 2016
In reply to pebbles:

not everyone wants big screen sports and jaegerbombs

Neither did I

nice pub, enough decent local shops to self cater

Technically yes, if you are still drinking chilled keg swill and happily sustained on a mouldy turnip and a box of shortbread.

Its never an issue we always stock up in the supermarket on the way up, winter up there is reliably so well catered for the demands of a twentieth first century epicurean.

D
KMC 18 Jan 2016
In reply to Flinticus:

As was mentioned above the Fife Arms Hotel is closed for a multi million pound refurbishment so yes the village is very quiet and the lack of a good pub is hurting everyone.

your comment above concerning Braemar Lodge is below the belt, it does very good food, the main part of the restaurant is newly built two years ago and isn't overpriced, did you even enter the hotel?

Also remember that the village has all been cut off after the floods on the 30th December (the A93 only fully opened yesterday afternoon) a lot of business owners scaled back opening hours as there was no vehicular access to the village and so no one was coming.

no excuses, it is a quiet place and there's nothing wrong with that, I'm very glad it's not like Aviemore, perhaps that's where you need to go next time to have your Apris ski party.
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 tony 18 Jan 2016
In reply to KMC:

> no excuses, it is a quiet place and there's nothing wrong with that, I'm very glad it's not like Aviemore, perhaps that's where you need to go next time to have your Apris ski party.

I never really understand why so many people to think that every argument has to be an either/or, with in this case the options being the crap bits of Aviemore vs the fact that Braemar is asleep much of the year. Astonishingly enough, there might be scope for something inbetween. There are other villages in the Highlands which have more going for them when compared with Braemar, and which don't have the glitz and tawdry bling of the bad bits of Aviemore.
For its location, Braemar could be buzzing with good stuff, but in all the years I've been going there, it's rarely seemed to have much life to it. It's a bit like Dalwhinnie - given its location, it could be a terrific base for visitors, but there's next-to-nothing there.
 Timmd 18 Jan 2016
In reply to tony:

Lots of online discussions become polarised.
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 Brass Nipples 18 Jan 2016
In reply to Timmd:

> Lots of online discussions become polarised.

No they don't
 Timmd 18 Jan 2016
In reply to Orgsm:

Yes they do.
 Doug 18 Jan 2016
In reply to tony:
I spent quite a lot of time in Braemar in the late 1980s & was always surprised how badly the village catered for tourists - a couple of dreary bars and poor food in general (although there was a chippy). At the time the Moorfield was the best of the poor choice but was often shut although Saturday evenings in the Fife could be fun. A few years earlier it used to be possible to camp by the Linn of Dee where the bar at Mar Lodge was open to the public & could be quite lively at weekends, although midweek it could be all but empty - a few time it was two of us plus a barman.

As said, surely something other than the worst of Aviemore, but still welcoming is possible ? something like the Old Inn (Aviemore) ?
Post edited at 18:17

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