My little piece of Scotland: Aviemore

I LIVE in a small village called Tillyfourie, in Aberdeenshire. I have a younger sister, a dog called Bella and a mum and a dad. My mum thought it would be a great idea for me to send in My Little Piece of Scotland.

My favourite place in Scotland is Aviemore. My family part-owns a small timeshare in Dalfaber, an area of Aviemore, which we have had for three years. We go there every year for one week.

It is about 60 miles from Aberdeen and it is beautiful all year round. There are wonderful lochs and lochans that are amazing to walk and cycle around or to just sit beside and have a picnic. My favourite loch is called Loch Morlich. It is vast, and once when we went to Aviemore in winter it was completely frozen over and we walked on the edge of the ice.

I love the atmosphere in Aviemore as well. The people there are lovely and friendly and they are all kind and caring.

In Aviemore there are tasty restaurants and swimming pools, and you can even go grass sledging. There is a heap of other stuff to do too, like visiting shops and parks. My favourite thing is to go swimming in a pool that has a wave machine and flumes. I also like going up on the funicular railway to look at the beautiful views of the Cairngorm mountains. I would like to take our dog Bella along but there is nowhere for her to stay. I know she would love Aviemore too because there is lots of wildlife and there are other dogs there.

There is a little village out of Aviemore called Rothiemurcus. You can go quad biking and shopping there. There is also a big retail centre there, and you can get some lovely food inside and in the colder months there is homemade soup and bread. There are also nice shops to go to and a food van that sits across the road, called Ord Ban, where you can get delicious food too.

What's your favourite piece of Scotland? If you are between five and 12 years old, tell us where your favourite place is. Just write 350 words explaining where it is and why it's the best place in Scotland, then fill in the coupon (ask your parent to sign it first) and send both, along with a small photo of yourself, to: My Little Piece of Scotland, Scotland on Sunday, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS

• This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday, February 14, 2010