Treezone Aviemore

Leading on from our adventure at Rothiemurchus Quad Bikes, we again reached out of our comfort zone and arranged a session at Aviemore Treezone. We had always passed Treezone Aviemore on our way to Loch Morlich and thought it looked great fun but very high, the kids were a bit young too (at least that was our excuse for not giving it a go!).

Aerial Adventure Course

Treezone is an extensive aerial adventure course built high in the ancient pine trees of the Rothiemurchus Estate at the foot of the Cairngorm mountains. It's a brilliant course with a varied range of obstacles to pass.

The course includes about 35 challenges, including:

• Balance beams
• Gap jumps
• Tarzan swings
• Tight Ropes
• White knuckle bridges
• Hanging platforms
• Scramble nets
• Zip wires

There are two courses, the "Tree Creeper" at around 20 feet off the ground and the "Buzzard" course is between 20-40 feet off the ground. There are platforms at each tree so you can take a short rest. The courses look ideal for adults and kids.

Treezone are members of the European Ropes Course Association and has attained Visit Scotland’s 5 Star Activity Provider Award.

Our day at Treezone Aviemore

We arrived at the small Treezone hut on Rothiemurchus estate, eager to get started the kids were bouncing about, keen to get up in the trees. My daughters Ellie and Olivia were with us today, my youngest Lauren was too little so she spent some time with her Granny and Granda. Ellie is 11 and Olivia was 8, so they were just old enough to have a go on the ultimate aerial adventure course. My wife was going up with them on this occasion, I suffer from spells of vertigo so unfortunately couldn't go up (I didn't wuss out, honest!). My brother's and nephew also came along.

Top tip: Remember and bring hair bobbles if you have long hair so it doesn't get caught in the rope... we forgot but were provided with some at the hut.

Top tip 2: Go in order of Adult, child, adult, child, that way, you can go forward or back to help whoever needs it. Olivia got stuck a couple of times and needed the help of an adult.

Harnesses and safety briefing

Our group was led around to the right of the hut where they were measured up for harnesses and safety equipment. You get a full-body harness (careful not to get a wedgy); it is of good quality and very robust. The harness clips onto a safety wire that goes around the entire course, so even if you fell, it would stop you from falling very far, and you can continue on the course.

Next up was a safety briefing and question and answer session and then on to the aerial adventure course.

Tree Creeper

First up was the Tree Creeper course, the smaller of the two courses. The kids seemed to fly around this no bother; my wife and brothers looked like they were having a great time too. This course consisted of "stepping stones" and a barrel-like structure to crawl through; there were also rope bridges and nets.

The Buzzard

This was the main section of the course and the highest. This started off with a unique obstacle; it was like a skateboard on ropes! There were wooden bars you had to grab then go to the next one, suspended car tyres, wooded crosses, and nets. Some of them were fairly challenging!

Olivia shot around the course with no fear, even jumping the gap jump without a second thought, Ellie had a more developed self-preservation instinct and took some time before jumping. She got there in the end, though and felt proud of her achievement.

Zip Line

The course is ended with a long zip line from the finishing point back to near the start point where you first enter the site. The zip line is quite fast, but there is a system in place that slows you down at the last second, a thrilling final ride to finish your Treezone experience.

Treezone Staff

Most of the staff were good at Treezone, "Tash" (sorry if I remember your name wrong), and another lady was really nice; the younger girl was also super polite and nice. Ellie got stuck at the gap jump and did delay others a little bit, but there was no pressure on her to continue and the staff just encouraged her.

Some of the other staff could be a little rude and abrupt, though. One shouted up to give advice on how to finish one of the obstacles - "Grab the white rope, grab the white rope", but my brother didn't hear him, so the staff member just shouted, "OK don't listen to me then" in a condescending way. I think more patience is needed by some staff; people don't jump through the trees on ropes every day!

Another member of staff was shouting at people for walking near the zip line. Fair enough, but maybe there needs to be a better system in place, a gated fence or something that people can only pass through when a member of staff opens it. There are small signs but easily missable, especially when you are looking up at family members in the trees. It must be annoying for the staff with people walking near the zipline, though, but no need for shouting.

What should I wear to Aviemore Treezone?

Sturdy footwear is a must, and it's worth wearing a padded hoodie or jumper, so the straps/harness don't dig in so much. Definitely no skirts or sandals/flip-flops.

What is the minimum age for Aviemore Treezone?

8 years old is the youngest accepted age.

How do I get to Treezone Aviemore?

It is located near the main Rothiemurchus area; there are two car parks on either side of the B970 road. You can't miss the wooden hut, it's right on the road, but parking is further up to the east on the left or right. See the map below or the Live Breathe Scotland Map. You can see the aerial adventure course on your left if you're coming from the Aviemore direction, and then the hut.

How long did the session at Treezone last?

It was about 1.5 hours.

Video of the zipline at Treezone

How much does Treezone cost?

£33 per adult, and £25 per child.

Key takeaways

• Treezone is great for adults and children over eight years old.

• It takes 1.5 hours to complete the course.

• Exists on the Rothiemurchus Estate near Aviemore.

• Open daily April to October, running on most school holidays and weekends out of season.

• Booking is essential via their website - iye.scot.

Conclusion

Treezone's ultimate aerial adventure course is well worth a visit on your trip to the Aviemore area and the Cairngorm National Park, everyone had a really good time on this treetop adventure. If you fancy more zip lining, why not check out G2 Outdoor's two zip adventures?