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Newtonmore · Museum
Highland Folk Museum
Historic cottages, a schoolhouse and a playground make this a museum day with plenty of time outside. The one-mile site in Newtonmore has over 35 buildings, so leave room for walking and breaks between them.
- Best fit
- School-age history fans; shorter visits with toddlers
- Cost
- Free entry; car parking £3
- Outside
- Walking between buildings; best in fair weather
- Allow
- 3–5 hours for a fuller visit
Our family take
This is a good choice for children who enjoy seeing how people lived, with costumed interpreters to talk to and a play park for a break from history. School-age children are likely to get more from the buildings; with toddlers, keep the visit short enough for their legs and interests.
- In wet weather. You walk outside between buildings and the café has limited indoor seating. Choose another day if you need a reliably indoor outing.
- Access and sensory. Expect uneven ground, slopes, low doorways and dark interiors. Lit fires in some township buildings can make them smoky.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Opening times
- Open daily 1 April–25 October 2026. April–August: 10am–5pm. September–25 October: 10.30am–4pm. Check the next season’s dates before planning a winter visit.
- Entry and booking
- Free entry; donations welcome. Family visits need no booking; groups must pre-book.
- Parking
- Cars £3; motorhomes and minibuses £6; coaches £10. Pay by card or contactless. The car park locks 45 minutes after closing.
- Address
- Aultlarie Croft, Kingussie Road, Newtonmore PH20 1AY
- How long
- Allow 3–5 hours for a fuller visit, including breaks. This is a planning estimate, not a fixed session.
- Buggies and access
- Paths include uneven grass, gravel and compact earth, with slopes. Check your route with the museum if buggy or wheelchair access will decide the visit.
- Toilets and changing
- The museum’s linked access guide lists a baby-changing table in the café-area adapted toilet. Check the guide’s measurements if you need room to manoeuvre a wheelchair.
ParkingCafé or restaurantPacked lunch spacePlay area
11 October 2026
Check opening times & visitor information (official)A little more detail
Make it work for your family
Buildings, play and a shorter visit
The historic buildings show life in the Highlands from the 1700s to the 1950s. The schoolhouse and cottages give children something concrete to picture, and costumed interpreters help bring the stories to life. Check what is happening on your day if a particular activity matters.
Kirk’s Store sells traditional sweets, but has shorter opening hours than the museum. During term time it opens Monday, Wednesday, Friday and weekends, 11am–4pm; during school holidays it opens daily, 11am–4pm.
The 3–5-hour suggestion from VisitCairngorms suits a fuller visit. With younger children, pick a few buildings and leave time for the playground. You can make a shorter outing of it without trying to see the whole site.
Lunch and picnic breaks
The café offers takeaway soup, sandwiches, drinks and cakes, with limited indoor seating. There are two large picnic areas: one beside the play park and another below Reception, in front of the school, with a covered space. Bringing lunch makes it easier to stop when the children need a break.
Buggies, historic interiors and safety
The paths to outdoor exhibits have step-free routes via ramps or slopes, but the ground is uneven. That does not mean every historic building is accessible. Use the detailed access guide to plan around your buggy or wheelchair, and ask the museum about any building you particularly want to enter.
Low doorways, dark interiors and smoke from lit fires may make some buildings uncomfortable for your child. You can leave those interiors out of the visit. Keep children close near water and moving farm vehicles; do not climb on exhibits or feed animals.
Season end and late arrivals
The 2026 season ends on 25 October. For a visit after that date, wait for the next season’s opening information. If you are arriving late, contact the museum about how much you will be able to see; plan to finish by closing time.
For another day in the Cairngorms
A fuller museum visit leaves little time for another large attraction. Save Highland Wildlife Park for a separate day if the children would rather see animals, or consider Loch an Eilein for a shorter woodland outing near Aviemore. Neither is an indoor rain backup.
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