Cairngorms & Aviemore

The gateway town to Britain's largest national park, surrounded by ancient Caledonian pine forest, reindeer herds, a mountain railway and lochs, with hiking, wildlife watching or skiing in every season.

Aviemore is the main gateway town to Cairngorms National Park, the largest national park in the UK. It sits in Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands, about 50 km south of Inverness. The area holds Britain's largest expanse of ancient Caledonian pine forest, herds of reindeer and sub-Arctic tundra on the high plateau, with outdoor activities all year round: hiking, cycling, boating and watching red squirrels and ospreys in summer and autumn, and skiing on Cairn Gorm in winter. The core sightseeing area takes in the Rothiemurchus Estate and Loch an Eilein south of town, and to the east Loch Morlich, An Lochan Uaine (the Green Loch) and the Reindeer Centre in Glenmore Forest, plus the CairnGorm Mountain funicular. Heading south down the Spey valley are Ruthven Barracks, the Highland Wildlife Park, the Highland Folk Museum, the Uath Lochans and Dalwhinnie Distillery; to the north are the old bridge and a family adventure park at Carrbridge; to the northeast you can follow the Malt Whisky Trail through Speyside to distilleries such as The Glenlivet; and at weekends you can ride the Strathspey steam railway. The best season is May–Sep, with long days and all trails open, though midges are a nuisance in Jun–Aug; Sep–Oct brings golden autumn colour; Dec–Mar is ski season. Weather on the plateau changes fast, so always check the mountain forecast and carry proper gear before heading up. Getting there: Aviemore is on the Edinburgh/Glasgow–Inverness railway and the A9; the train takes about 2.5–3 hours from Edinburgh and about 40 minutes from Inverness. Buses run from town to Glenmore and the foot of Cairn Gorm, but a car is the easiest way to reach other sights. Allow 2–4 days.

Top sights

• Rothiemurchus Estate – A family-owned historic estate south of Aviemore, covering large areas of ancient Caledonian pine forest. It offers hiking, cycling, Highla…
• An Lochan Uaine (Green Loch) – A small emerald-green lake in the depths of Glenmore’s pine forest, reached by a walk of about 1 hour from the Glenmore Visitor Centre via…
• Loch Garten & RSPB Abernethy – A peaceful loch among the ancient pines of Abernethy, the symbol of the return of ospreys to Britain, where you can watch nesting ospreys a…
• Ruthven Barracks – The ruins of a barracks built in 1719 by the British to suppress the Jacobites, standing on a mound. Remnants of the army defeated at Cullo…
• Uath Lochans – Four small lochs on the edge of Glen Feshie, with pines and mountains mirrored in their still water, one of the Cairngorms’ favourite spots…
• Carrbridge Packhorse Bridge – A single-arch stone bridge built in 1717, the oldest stone bridge in the Scottish Highlands, its slender arch spanning the rushing River Du…
• Landmark Forest Adventure Park – A family adventure park in the pine forest, with treetop walkways, high ropes, water slides, a maze and a demonstration of timber machinery.
• The Glenlivet Distillery – The first licensed distillery in the Speyside whisky region, established in 1824, where you can tour the brewing process and taste single m…
• Dalwhinnie Distillery – One of Scotland’s highest distilleries, its white walls and red roofs standing in a bleak Highland pass, where you can taste whisky paired…
• Craigellachie National Nature Reserve – Birch woodland slopes on the western edge of Aviemore, with short trails leading to small lochs and viewpoints overlooking the town and the…
• CairnGorm Mountain Railway – Britain’s highest funicular railway, climbing from the Cairngorm Mountain ski centre to a summit station at about 1,097 m, with views over…
• Loch an Eilein – A forest loch on the Rothiemurchus estate, with a medieval castle ruin on an island in the middle and a gentle, beautiful lakeside path.
• Loch Morlich – A highland loch at the foot of the Cairngorms, with a sandy beach said to be the highest in Britain, surrounded by pine forest, where you c…
• Cairngorm Reindeer Centre – Britain’s only free-roaming reindeer herd, where you can follow a keeper up the mountain to the grazing grounds and hand-feed the reindeer.
• Highland Wildlife Park – A cold-climate zoo run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, with polar bears, snow leopards, Scottish wildcats and a drive-through…
• Ben Macdui – At 1,309 m, Britain’s second-highest peak, climbed on a classic full-day hike across the plateau from the Cairngorm Mountain car park.
• Aviemore & Cairngorms National Park – Gateway town to Cairngorms National Park, Britain's largest, and an outdoor-sports hub with lochs, pine forests, reindeer and steam trains…
• Strathspey Railway – A historic steam train departing from An Aghaidh Mhòr, running through pine forest and pasture along the Spey Valley with views of the Cair…

Where to eat

• Old Bridge Inn – A long-standing country pub on the River Spey, with a seasonal menu that rises above typical pub fare, a fireside in wi…
• Delaney's – A small family restaurant on Aviemore's main street serving Scottish produce in Spanish-style small plates, ranked No…
• Rowan Tree Country Inn Restaurant – A family restaurant in an 18th-century coaching inn on the shores of Loch Alvie, serving homely and refined dishes made…
• Happy Haggis Fish and Chips – A long-running family fish and chip shop on Aviemore's main street, offering affordable takeaway, where you can also tr…

Itineraries

• Classic Highlands and Isle of Skye Loop – Depart from Edinburgh and loop clockwise through the Highlands via Glencoe, the Isle of Skye, Loch Ness, and Pitlochry.
• Eastern Scotland: Fife to the Cairngorms – Travel from the fishing villages of Fife to Dunnottar Castle, then cross Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms, returning vi…