Set in the stunning Cairngorm National Park the multiple award-winning Speyside Centre has just celebrated 40 years in business. The family firm has grown from a tearoom ran from a caravan (affectionately known as the ‘Smallest Tearoom in Scotland’!) to the centre which now offers a huge range of products and services and continues to expand, despite the recession.
Established by David and Betty Lambie in Dulnain Bridge in 1972, the couple and their two sons have developed the business to incorporate a number of services, additional to the tearoom and heather stall they began with. The centre now hosts a restaurant, garden and heather centre, gift and antique shop, art gallery, wildlife viewing area, toddlers play area and holiday accommodation, and exports Betty’s award-winning clootie dumpling worldwide!
The expansion of the centre has appealed greatly to not only local residents, but to visitors from across the UK and Europe, receiving over 80,000 visitors per year and growing. With the development of their online store, the family now also export a range of products worldwide – their clootie dumpling a particular favourite for Christmas, New Year and Burn’s Night celebrations.
Betty feels the centre’s success is down to the family’s commitment and diversity; “You simply cannot afford to stand still. We are a small family business and can make decisions quickly to move with the times.”
The family’s hard-work has been recognised with The Speyside Centre winning a number of awards over the years, including one of the first establishments in Scotland to be awarded a ‘Tourism Oscar’ in 1992. Most recently, the centre was recognised for its sustainability and awareness of its environmental impact gaining a gold Green Tourism Award.
As a way of thanking the local community for their support, the family has raised more than £100,000 for cancer-based charities – a cause particularly close to the family’s heart after Betty won a battle with lymphatic cancer. Most recently the family made the world’s largest clootie dumpling weighing a hefty 120kg and offering over 2000 servings – it was a massive success.
With future plans including expansion of the art gallery and the upgrading of the Heather Centre, and developing the online shopping experience, the Speyside Centre is sure to go from strength to strength.
Situated on the A95 between Aviemore’ and Grantown-on-Spey and open every day except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, the Speyside Centre is certainly well worth a visit.
