Aaron Sneddon, 4th November 2007

What Ralia has to say:

"Our bread is baked in Forres, our salmon smoked in Dingwall, our ice-cream made at Cream o' Galloway, our milk pasteurised in Nairn, our cheese churned on Arran and our coffee is roasted in Glasgow. However, our shortbread is baked in Australia, our wool spun in Yorkshire and our chocolate is created in Germany! We are Scottish and International but believe that all the brands we sell are the best in their sector"

What we have to say

Ralia Cafe is one of the very few Cafe's in the Spey Valley area that can make a great Coffee, not only that but Ralia do not sponsor this page, further more, Ralia doesn't pay a penny to Aviemore Golf, we have to rave about them because they really are good.

Most Cafe's and eateries around the UK now have a posh machine, capable of making all the perfect swooshing and skooshing sounds, letting out a nice warm Coffee aroma dispensing hot Espresso or Cappuccino, or something unpronounceable, but in the end its what the Coffee Bean derived drink actually tastes like, and a few other criteria set out by the purchasing individual - what the customer expects.

Strangely, although all these machines look alike, smell alike and seem (To the customer) to be operated alike, it still appears that most dispensing operatives can't make a decent coffee, it may have that bitter after-taste, it may not be hot enough, it may be too weak, it may just not taste like the perfect Coffee.

Ralia's Coffee is perfect, the staff really do know how to make a nice day starter - and the numbers show, because Ralia gets busier every time i go there, and I'm noticing regular's more and more. Considering this Cafe has no neighbours and is off of the A9 South of Newtonmore, it is getting a lot of custom.

Apart from the usual strange named Coffee Bean drinks that Scots find hard pronouncing (Depending on which region you travel to in Scotland, you can have a great laugh listening to Scot's ordering their Espresso Con Panna), Ralia serves Innocent drinks like Smoothies and Spring water fruit drinks without the sweetener. There's spring water, Iced Tea, some canned juices, and some nice tasting vegetable/fruit based drinks too (And i don't mean Coca Cola with the so called Vegetable extracts).

Food!

Enjoy a nice toasted bacon sandwich, before 11 with an Espresso, one of the range of great sandwiches, or some soup and a roll, even the soup is great.

For sweet tooth's, there's some non-mass made cookies, with a few Gluten-free ones thrown in for those like myself who have an aversion to wheat and other nasty substances.

Internet

There's free broadband internet on the computers, 10 mins free then pay as you go, or grab the laptop out of the car on the passing, and connect quickly and easily with Ralia's always on free WIFI.

Those who have never been to Ralia before tend to behave like Chinese tourists on arrival, grab a Coffee and take lots of photos of the mountains around the panoramic building, you can walk about 75% around on the wooden platform that surrounds it.

Getting to Ralia

From A9 South turn in either where the sign to Ralia shows before you come to the turning of Newtonmore, or turn sharp Left as you come into the Newtonmore junction.

From North, don't turn into Kingussie, turn into the Newtonmore South junction from the A9, then turn sharp Left.

From Newtonmore, drive down to the end of the village, keep going, drive over the one way bridge with the lights, continue round until you are about 4 Metres from the entrance to the A9, turn sharp Right on the bend (If you're going onto the A9 you'll sweep Left), follow the road past the house on the Right, continue down until you see the sighs for Ralia, Turn Left into Ralia and park your vehicle. If have your camera and its charged, you'll want to take the photos as you go up the ramp, so go up to the Right and over the little wooden bridge, watch where you're going as you go up the ramp whilst taking thousands of photos of the surrounding area - On a summers day, its lovely, on a winters day you'll see the mist on the Monadhliath Mountains to your Right.

A quick note: The A9 is notorious for accidents, be very careful when turning in and be careful coming back onto the A9 from Ralia, like almost all junctions coming off of the A9, the junctions are badly planned and accidents can happen, look both ways before pulling out and to the Left and behind you when pulling into Ralia from the North.