Winking Owl, Aviemore (Winky)

Cairngorm Brewery have been making award winning beers in Aviemore since 2001, and “The Winky”, their first pub, was taken on by them in November 2014 under an innovative “partial” tie with Caledonian / Heineken.

Once a farmhouse, the pub is probably one of the oldest hostelries in Aviemore; no less than Robert Burns is reported to have breakfasted here in 1787.

Just to the right of the steps up to The Winky, access to “The Bothy Bar” is via the rustic courtyard which uses re-purposed corrugated tin sheet, upcycled wooden pallets and cable drums to form a covered outside seating / smoking area. At night, gently changing “mood” lighting sets a comfy scene.

The addition of the Bothy Bar downstairs in 2018 massively increased its capacity to cater for thirsty and hungry visitors and locals alike, including wheelchair users and those who might find the steps difficult, and those with doggie “best friends”!

The walls of the Bothy are stripped back and there is a section of the floor plan which has a raised dais for the regular musical events.

Upstairs, the roomy Winky bar has commanding views out over the Cairngorm mountain range.

Both bars have six hand pumps offering four Cairngorm beers, usually Trade Winds, Stag and Wildcat and one seasonal, plus two from Caledonian list such as Flying Scotsman, Deuchars IPA and Fyne Ales Jarl. An array of font beers is also available, including Cairngorm’s award winning “Black Gold”.

Food is available in both, with “hearty pub grub” featured downstairs and international/Scottish themed dishes upstairs. By report, the Winky is now exclusively a restaurant; if you just want to drink, the Bothy Bar downstairs is your only option, but afternoons/evenings Thursday to Sunday only.

Well behaved dogs are allowed in the Bothy Bar, but only guide dogs upstairs in the Winky restaurant area.

Well worth a visit is the Cairngorm “brewery tap”, just North about ½ mile away, and has two rotating Cairngorm beers on hand pump, normally a “regular” beer, and the current seasonal, with some available on font.

Please see the “Cairngorm Brewery” WhatPub entry for more details. There you can take a tour and tutored tasting, and stock up on some bottles or fill up a four pint “growler” to take away.

NB: some of the images were supplied by Samantha Faircliff of Cairngorm Brewery who has given permission for them to be used by CAMRA but still may be subject to copyright.