An absolute gem of a place, a little off the beaten track but well worth the vist, easy to get to straight off the A9 or from Aviemore.
I have to disagree with the previous reviewer in that, in my opinion, the park is anything but rundown, the RZSS are in fact in the process of heavily upgrading both this park and Edinburgh Zoo with many new, modern enclosures and new animals being introduced. The recent addition of a new hilltop viewpoint with stunning views across the Spey Valley being one case in point, along with the fabulous new Red Panda exhibit; You'll never get closer to these lovely animals and the enclosure is well designed from a photography point of view with only a waist height physical barrier in sections meaning no bars, wire or glass in the way. The wolf enclosure was recognised as the best of its type in the world a few years ago and it also provides ample opportunities for photographers; full frame shots of the wolves heads are perfectly possible with a modest 300mm lens (there are one or two on my profile ;-) ) The forest animals section is challenging for photographers, being sited in amongst the trees with very little light, but here can be found one of the most reliable locations in the area for photographing (semi) wild red squirrels at the feeding stations and surrounding trees. Other animal highlights include Snow Monkeys with their own lake, Arctic foxes and Beavers. Again the photographer is well catered for with close and unobscured views available. The near future includes Amur Tigers and Leopards which hopefully will be well worth the visit.
The park also includes a drivethrough 'safari' section where the animals are very accustomed to cars and will approach to very close quarters and pose for their photo; here can be found Buffalo, Moose, Reindeer, Przwalski's horses and Yak amongst others. Also in this section are the Red Deer - magnificent in the Autumn. The park is rarely hugely busy due to its location so its never a real problem getting yourself or your car into the perfect shooting position. Quite apart from the animals the park can be appreciated for its location nestled below the surrounding mountains, it can be an enjoyable place just to go for a walk around enjoying the scenery. The staff are generally very knowledgeable and friendly. There is a small gift shop and cafe serving sandwiches, panninis etc and good toilet facilities.
(Written by: barca)