Map
Open this stop on the map.
Open this stop on the map
Newtonmore · Adventure
Newtonmore Wildcat Experience
Turn a wander around Newtonmore into a hunt for painted model cats, hidden in gardens, windows and up trees. Buy a map pack, let the children look for their favourites and stop when little legs have had enough.
- Best for
- Preschool and primary-age cat hunters
- Cost
- £10 per hunt pack
- Weather
- An outdoor village wander
- Visit length
- Choose a short hunt or keep exploring
Our family take
This gives children a reason to keep walking and makes a handy outing between bigger Cairngorms days. Preschoolers can spot the cats while an adult handles the map; older children can work out the grid references themselves.
- Choose your route. This is the village treasure hunt, separate from the 10km Wildcat Trail.
- With wheels. Some cats involve rough or steep roads, and ten cannot be reached with wheels.
- Supervision. The hunt uses village streets. Keep children close beside roads and look into gardens from public paths.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Start point
- Wildcat Centre, Main Street, Newtonmore PH20 1DD. The map pin marks the centre, not a car park.
- Hunt pack
- £10 per pack, with a colour brochure, map and pen in a showerproof bag. This is a pack price, not a per-person admission ticket.
- Buying a pack
- Buy at the Wildcat Centre, village Post Office, Antler’s Café, Wild Flour Café or Highlander Hotel. Check your chosen outlet’s hours.
- Centre visits
- The centre has seasonal hours and is currently listed as closed on Sundays. Check its latest hours if you want help with the map or to collect a certificate.Wildcat Centre hours
- Toilets and changing
- Newtonmore has village public toilets with disabled access, but no baby changing. Plan a changing stop elsewhere if you need one.Village toilet details
- Arrival
- Check local parking signs for charges and restrictions. If travelling by train or bus, allow for the walk to the centre as well as the hunt.
ToiletsMap And Hunt Pack
16 October 2026
Check hunt packs and visitor information (official)A little more detail
Make it work for your family
How the hunt works
There are 132 individually painted model wildcats around the village. Match the cats you find to their photographs in the brochure, then use the map to record their grid references. You are looking for models, so choose a wildlife park instead if your children want to see living animals.
With younger children, choose a small part of the map and see how you get on before extending the walk. The separate Wildcat Trail is a 10km countryside circuit; you do not have to walk it to take part in the village hunt.
You can collect a certificate from the Wildcat Centre. Finding more than 26 cats earns a silver certificate and a small prize; 100 or more earns gold, and finding them all earns platinum and the top prize. Avoid making a long search the goal if the children are already tired.
Buggies and wheelchairs
You can spot 98 of the cats from places suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Another 11 involve unmade roads, 13 involve steep roads, and ten are inaccessible with wheels.
Use the access map to choose which cats to look for before setting off. If slopes or rough surfaces would decide the day for your family, ask the centre to help you pick a manageable section. The cat counts do not describe one continuous step-free circuit.
Weather, snacks and breaks
The searching and walking are outdoors, so choose a day when everyone will be comfortable outside. Waterproofs help with showers, but this is a poor fit for a family needing a whole indoor afternoon.
Bring snacks so you can stop when the children need a break, or choose a village café separately. The cafés that sell packs are separate businesses; food is extra. If a café break is part of your plan, check its opening hours too.
Another Newtonmore outing
Highland Folk Museum is also in Newtonmore, with historic buildings and a playground. It is another outdoor visit with plenty of walking, so check its seasonal dates and leave enough energy for it. You may prefer to save the museum for another day if the hunt keeps everyone busy.
Plan the rest of your day
Save this stop
Add it to your trip plan or save it for later.