Facilities
Picnic areas
Whatever the weather, it is fun to eat outdoors!
We’ve provided lots of benches and picnic areas to allow you to do just that.
The two main picnic areas are located around the main car park and at the top of the hill next to the markhor enclosure.
Playground
We have an outdoor playground located next to the main car park. The playground is designed to allow children to have fun in a safe environment.
Please ensure that your children are supervised at all times.
Help to get around
We have a limited number of manual wheelchairs available for free hire. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are disinfected after each use.
Four mobility scooters are also available to hire. These are also available on a a first-come, first-served basis and a refundable £25 deposit is required.
Gift shop
Our main gift shop is currently closed as our Visitor Centre (café/shop) undergoes refurbishment.
As an alternative, we have repurposed our Polar Kiosk into a temporary shop offering a more limited range of items including soft toys, stationary, local artwork and locally/sustainably sourced products .
Our gifts and souvenirs reflect the ethos and character of Highland Wildlife Park and the surrounding Highlands of Scotland.
The shop is open all year round (weather permitting) from 10am.
Drive-through reserve
You can drive around the reserve, where you will see many hoofed animals, including deer, elk, vicuna and bison.
If you missed seeing some of the animals in the reserve, don't worry! You can drive around the reserve as many times as you like.
Please note – the reserve can be closed due to severe weather.
Check out our Reserve ToursAssistance dogs and emotional support animals
Only registered assistance dogs that are accompanying their respective partner are permitted to enter the park. If you wish to bring an assistance dog into the park please inform a member of our admissions team when you arrive. Be aware that access may be restricted to certain areas.
Please note assistance dogs in training are not permitted to enter. In addition to the above admission, assistance dogs are subject to the following regulations of BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria).
- All assistance dogs must be up-to-date with all inoculations
- Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times and under strict control
- Dogs must not be allowed to defecate anywhere in the park grounds and any incidents should be cleared away by their owners
- If the behaviour of our animals or your dog is affected, please move away from the area to ensure both their safety and those of our other visitors
As a leading conservation charity, the health and welfare of an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) and our own animals is always paramount. As such, we do not generally recommend the zoo as an appropriate environment for ESAs. With the exception of trained and accredited assistance dogs, for which we have an established process and provision, we strongly advise that guests should never simply arrive at the zoo with any animal, expecting entry. If you feel that you must visit with an ESA, you should contact us at least one week before visiting, so that we can identify whether adjustments can be made, or determine whether an animal’s health and welfare would be compromised by the visit.
If you are looking for suitable dog walking areas nearby you can try the Speybank walk at Kincraig or the Speyside Way/Badenoch way near the Loch Insh Watersports Centre. Both Kingussie and Newtonmore have a good variety of walks – for more information, visit walkhighlands.co.uk
Loch Insh Watersports Centre has a dog friendly café (bar and balcony only) and is approximately 3.5 miles from Highland Wildlife Park.
