Itinerary
Visit Scotland in winter
A flexible winter route through the Highlands, the wildlife you can realistically see, and how to plan around short days and mountain weather.
Destination guide
Cairngorms National Park: Must-Do Activities for Wildlife and Outdoor Lovers
Ancient pinewoods, a high Arctic-like plateau and wildlife from ospreys to reindeer: how to make the most of the UK's largest national park responsibly.
The Cairngorms National Park in the eastern Highlands of Scotland is the largest national park in the United Kingdom. At its center is a high granite plateau with a climate closer to the Arctic than to the rest of Britain, surrounded by glens, rivers, farmland and some of the largest remaining fragments of native Caledonian pinewood. Communities such as Aviemore, Grantown-on-Spey, Kingussie, Braemar and Ballater make good bases.
This guide covers the park's signature activities, with an emphasis on wildlife and on doing things in a way that protects some of Britain's most sensitive species.
Wildlife experiences
Ospreys at Loch Garten
The RSPB's Abernethy nature reserve, which includes Loch Garten, is closely tied to the osprey's return to Scotland: ospreys recolonized the country in the mid-20th century, and the Loch Garten nest became one of the best-known in Britain. Ospreys are summer visitors, usually present from spring to late summer. Check the RSPB for current visitor facilities and viewing arrangements, which have changed over the years.
Red squirrels and pinewood birds
The pinewoods of Abernethy, Rothiemurchus and Glenmore are strongholds of the red squirrel. They also hold specialist birds: crested tits, Scottish crossbills (the only bird species found only in the UK) and the capercaillie.
Capercaillie: a species to protect, not chase
The capercaillie is a very large woodland grouse that has declined severely in Scotland. Most of the remaining birds live in and around the Cairngorms. Recent national surveys have estimated only a few hundred birds. They are extremely sensitive to disturbance, especially in spring, when males gather at display sites (leks), and during the nesting and chick-rearing season.
Do not look for capercaillie. Stay on paths in pinewoods, keep dogs on a short lead in spring and early summer, and avoid early-morning walks off paths in capercaillie woods. Follow signage and seasonal guidance from the national park authority and land managers.
The Cairngorm reindeer herd
Reindeer were reintroduced to the Cairngorms in the 1950s, and a managed, free-ranging herd lives on the hills. Visits to see them are guided and run by the herd's keepers. This is a managed domestic herd, not wild wildlife, and visits follow the keepers' rules.
Mountain and plateau wildlife
On the high plateau, visitors may see mountain hares (which turn white in winter), ptarmigan and, in summer, dotterel. Golden eagles range across the park. All of these can be disturbed easily; give them space and keep to paths.
Walks and mountain days
The park offers everything from easy woodland loops to serious mountain routes.
- Gentle walks: loops around Loch an Eilein, Loch Morlich and Loch Garten, and riverside paths along the Spey and Dee, suit most ages and abilities.
- Hill walks: Cairn Gorm (4,084 ft / 1,245 m) and Ben Macdui, the second-highest mountain in the UK (4,295 ft / 1,309 m), are reached from the Cairngorm ski area or longer approaches.
- Long routes: the Lairig Ghru pass between Aviemore and Braemar is a long, remote through-route that requires good fitness and navigation.
The plateau is exposed, with notoriously fast-changing weather. Even in summer, conditions can include high winds, low cloud, cold rain and snow. In winter it is a mountaineering environment requiring ice axe, crampons and the skills to use them.
Other must-do experiences
- Dark skies: parts of the park, including the Tomintoul and Glenlivet area, have been recognized for their dark skies; autumn and winter nights are ideal for stargazing and sometimes the aurora.
- Rivers and lochs: paddling and canoeing on the Spey and on lochs, with care for fishing beats, nesting birds and water conditions.
- Snow sports in winter: the park includes ski areas at Cairngorm, Glenshee and the Lecht; conditions vary greatly from year to year.
- Cycling: quiet roads and forest tracks around Glenmore, Rothiemurchus and Deeside.
- Heritage: castles, distilleries and villages on Speyside and Deeside.
References
Facts in the Key facts boxes are drawn from the sources listed under References. Rules, seasons and access change — confirm with the official authority before you go. How we work.