Handy info for visitors to the northern Cairngorms National Park, from Malcolm O’Reilly of locally-based Arc Guiding
The world-famous Cairngorms have plenty to offer if you enjoy the outdoors (a perfect base, in fact, for my own company providing outdoor and wildlife activities in Scotland). This mini-guide is designed for visitors to the northern Cairngorms. But the quick facts and general pointers are relevant to the rest of the national park. Read on to find out more…
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Cairngorms quick facts
4528 SQ KM – Britain’s largest national park
5 OF THE HIGHEST mountains in Britain
25% OF THE RAREST wildlife species in the UK
TOURISM 30% of the economy
POPULATION 17,000
General visitor guide to the northern Cairngorms
The Cairngorms National Park lies within the Scottish Highlands, in the rugged wild northern half of Scotland.
It was set up in 2001 and is home to many businesses and communities as well as wildlife. To the north lie Aviemore and Grantown-on-Spey – the latter being home to the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA). To the west is Laggan and Dalwhinnie. Tomintoul and Ballater are found in the east and and Blair Atholl and Glenshee to the south. In the next part of this Cairngorms guide, get a quick intro to the landscapes and nature of the area.
Landscape, weather and wildlife
In the Cairngorms can be found much of Britain’s most famous scenery and wildlife.
Our world-class Highland scenery includes centuries-old villages, famous salmon rivers (the Spey and Dee), the subarctic Cairngorms plateau and protected Caledonian pineforest. The park is home to many of the rarest animals in the UK, including golden eagles, otters, pine marten, capercaillie, Scottish wildcat and ptarmigan. Many of the habitats here are internationally protected and significant rewilding projects are underway. Forestry is common. There are significant areas of croft and farmland, mainly for livestock (including famous Highland cows). In addition, there is much privately-owned moorland managed for grouse and deer shooting.
Our weather is very seasonal, that is, expect hot and dry periods during summer and cold and wet weather during the winter. Winter and spring often involves periods of heavy snow and it is often quite windy! We also get seasonal flooding, which mainly affects farmland and riverbanks.
🔥 Fire hazard is common in many months, although we don’t have a specific ‘fire season’. Open fires and barbecues are now banned during summer (apart from landowner permission).
Next, our guide to the Cairngorms will give you a quick overview of accomodation and food options.
Stay and eat
The Cairngorms National Park has plenty of great accomodation and places to eat, to suit all budgets.
The main villages are Aviemore, Kingussie and Grantown-on-Spey. In addition, there are many smaller villages and hamlets. Accomodation ranges from campsites and simple bunkhouses to expensive hotels, but book early as they can fill up quickly . When it comes to food, there are plenty of options ranging from takeaways to locally-sourced fine dining. Again, the best restaurants book up quickly, so book early and consider alternatives (check the Visit Cairngorms website for more info). Visitors with specific dietary requirements or allergies are generally well catered for (although some ingredients can be hard to source at short notice). The Scottish Highlands doesn’t tend to have pubs, but bars are commonplace in hotels and inns. There are also plenty of cafes with great coffee and cake!
🏕️ Wild camping is only legal under Scottish law when it is done responsibly:
- out of sight of homes and businesses
- take litter away
- no cutting or collecting firewood
- moving on after 1 or 2 nights
- dispose of human and food waste carefully
- Use a stove, rather than a fire or disposable barbeque
The next part of this Cairngorms guide looks at shopping and transport options within the national park.
Shopping and transport
Considering its distance from large cities, the Cairngorms has reasonable shopping and transport links.
Many smaller villages have a shop, with the larger ones having a supermarket or two, plus more specialist retailers. Aviemore has the widest range, although obviously less than larger towns and cities. Make sure you have enough cash and/or credit to deal with incidentals, as rural banks are almost non-existant now. Travel insurance is highly recommended for holidaymakers. Contactless payment is commonplace, but cash may still be required in some remote areas. An online booking service is available for visitors wanting to securely store their bags/equipment while they explore, see Aviemore Luggage Storage.
💷 Cash withdrawals are possible at several village ATMs, supermarkets and post offices. Scotland shares the same currency as England, Wales and Northern Ireland – that is, pounds sterling, GBP. Despite this, some retailers elsewhere in the UK still refuse Scottish banknotes!
Transport options are varied, considering this is a rural area (see below).
- Rail and bus services are efficient, but not very frequent. They connect the various villages to Inverness, Perth and Fort William. A good sleeper train service runs from London. Traveline Scotland provides up-to-date information.
- Cars are almost a necessity in remote areas and filling stations (and a few electric car charging points) are located in Grantown-on-Spey, Aviemore, Carrbridge and Newtonmore.
- Taxis are good and will cover even remote areas, but can be expensive.
- Cycling is popular, with there being a number of cycle-friendly paths (eg: Speyside Way, NCN).
- Inverness Airport provides regular flights to some major cities in the UK and a few closer European destinations.
⚠️ Drive and park with respect
We drive on the left in the UK! Rural roads can be busy (and fast) with locals and visitors, especially during holiday periods.
Next, the Cairngorms visitor Guide gives you some pointers on health and wellbeing within the park.
Health and wellbeing
The Cairngorms is located in a rural area with good healthcare.
There are plenty of open green spaces to exercise or relax. Most villages have a footpath network and a park and public services such as lavatories (loos), recycling, gyms, swimming pools and libraries are reasonably accessible. In addition, the CNPA funds many public events aimed to promote wellbeing and education. Tapwater in accomodations is drinkable, so there is no need to buy bottled water. In the northern Cairngorms, the main medical centres (including dentist) are located at Grantown-on-Spey and Aviemore. The nearest Accident and Emergency (Emergency Room) is Inverness (approx 30 miles north of Aviemore via the A9). NHS Healthcare is free ‘at the point of need’, as is mountain rescue.
Normal travel precautions apply, and especially consider:
- Adequate clothing and skills for remote areas.
- Lyme disease is a health risk in the warmer months. See Ticks and Lyme disease for advice.
- Biting midges can sometimes be a nuisance during summer.
- Generally low-crime, but take sensible precautions with your valuables during holiday periods.
- Few wildlife hazards occur. There are few dangerous plants and mushrooms. In addition to livestock, red deer and adders are our only potentially dangerous animals, but the risk is minimal.
📶 Mobile phone and internet speeds may be slower than you expect, and coverage is non-existant in a few areas. 5G is currently unavailable. Consider roaming charges, WiFi-calling or a local SIM if needed. Most accomodations and some coffee shops have OK WiFi.
In the last section of the Cairngorms guide, check out the various outdoor activities that are available.
Activities and places of interest
The Cairngorms National Park offers plenty of outdoor activities, in addition to many places of interest and attractions.
Tourism is very important to the national park, and helped by Scotland’s generous access laws. Importantly, this right to access most land and water depends on visitors behaving responsibly. See the Scottish Outdoor Access Code for advice.
To start with, plentiful walking and hiking routes exist, using both marked and unmarked paths and trails (the walks near Aviemore are especially popular). Mountain hikers can tick off several of Britain’s highest mountains: Cairn Gorm at 1245m/4085ft, or Ben Macdui at 1309m/4295ft.
🥾 For outdoor gear hire in the Aviemore area, see the Hire equipment Help page (opens new tab).
Cairn Gorm is home to one of the 3 ski areas within the national park and includes the Cairngorm funicular railway. Although snow conditions can be unpredictable, ski touring is popular. The northern Cairngorms offer plenty of great MTB routes, mountaineering journeys, lochs and rivers for kayaking and canoeing, plus superb fishing and birdwatching locations.
Cairngorms-based activities by Arc Guiding
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Aviemore Mountain Bike day
£200.00 -
Ben Macdui Hike
£230.00 -
Cairngorm Mountain Wildlife Adventure (1 day)
£240.00 -
Beginners Ski Touring course (1 day)
£230.00 -
Cairngorms Winter Skills (2 day)
£200.00
Cultural sites include several castles including Ruthven Barracks, Castle Roy, Lochindorb and Ballindalloch. The Highland Folk museum and Grantown museum are excellent places to find out more about the local area. The Cairngorms are home to the world famous ‘Speyside’ distilleries (eg: Macallan, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich), in addition to the ‘Highland’ Dalwhinnie distillery. Several villages have their own highland games (usually in late summer) and many other festivals and events occur throughout the year. Gaelic language and culture is supported by the Park Authority and widely features in community projects and events. During the year, the national park receives visitors from all over the world.
Malcolm O’Reilly: your guide in the Cairngorms
I have lived and led in the Cairngorms since before it was actually a national park! For over 20 years now, I have been delivering quality guiding and instruction in hiking, MTB, canoeing, ski touring and birding – both within the Cairngorms and further afield. I love helping people connect with nature and wild places, and the ‘Gorms delivers in spades! Meet guide Malcolm OReilly.