The Highland Wildlife Park is a 105-hectare safari park and zoo near Kingussie, Highland, Scotland. The park is located within the Cairngorms National Park.
Some of our animals are active at different times of the day so it's always worthwhile revisiting an enclosure. Our friendly staff and volunteers are on hand to help answer any questions.
Dog owners - Please note, with the exception of fully trained guide dogs, pets are not permitted into Highland Wildlife Park, including the car park.
Run by the Zoological Society of Scotland, the Highland Wildlife Park is a two-hundred-acre safari park and zoo, with drive-through and walk-through sections. Splendidly set in the Cairngorms National Park, it offers stunning mountain and loch views and the chance to see a range of mountain and tundra wildlife – including polar bears.
It takes about half an hour to drive (slowly) around the Main Reserve, where you’ll see many hoofed animals, including elk, deer, reindeer, bison, yak and Mongolian wild horses. Don’t worry if you miss something: you can go round as many times as you like. From the car park, trails lead to more exotic animals such as Amur tigers, snow monkeys, wolves, arctic foxes and the polar bears. Native Scottish wildlife is also represented, with red deer, wildcats and red squirrels, among others, while children will enjoy the excellent Go Wild adventure playground.
Blue Badge parking is available within a few yards of the accessible visitor centre, housing cafés and a shop. Trails through the site are pretty wheelchair-friendly, particularly the wooden walkways to the tigers. Some are surfaced with compressed earth or hard-packed gravel; a few are steep in places, but navigable, though you may need assistance. Rest seats are provided at various points. The shop staff are helpful and can provide a map and advice about trails and surfaces. There are three wheelchairs available to borrow, and three disabled toilets located in blocks by the car park and in the visitor centre. If you don’t have your own vehicle, you can join one of the Land Rover tours that leave the visitor centre at various times throughout the day (book in advance).
FOOD & DRINK
The on-site Antlers café serves hot and cold meals and snacks, and comes with great views of the snow monkeys and beyond to the Spey Valley. There’s also a picnic area next to the playground. Alternatively, the Old Bridge Inn on Dalfaber Road, on the outskirts of Aviemore (01479 811137, www.oldbridgeinn.co.uk), serves excellent food by the banks of the River Spey: from the wildlife park, take the Coylumbridge/Glenmore Road and then the first turning on the left.
