On our week-long trip to the Scottish Highlands in wintertime, we absolutely loved our stopover in the Cairngorm Mountains.
For wildlife and nature lovers, the Cairngorms are perfect for a long-weekend trip. Honestly, even longer is better, as there are so many wonderful places to explore!
What’s special about the Cairngorms is the variety of wonders you’ll find within.
Cairngorms National Park is the largest natural area in Scotland and the whole United Kingdom. Within the Park, myriad landscapes await visitors, including rolling hills and high mountaintops, calm forests with lochs and streams, quaint villages and wonderful places to end the day, and so much more.
So many itineraries suggest visitors see Glencoe and Inverness (which we also recommend!) but say nothing of the east! What this means for you is that you’ll likely see mostly locals and other Scots, not tons of tourists.
Here are our must-do activities when visiting the Cairngorm Mountains.
Spot Highland Reindeer on the Moors of Cairngorm
A visit to the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre is a great way to experience the surrounding nature. And, this is the only free-roaming herd of reindeer in the UK.
Note you’ll need to arrive about 30 minutes before their opening time in order to secure a spot on their hill tour as they’re first come first served (which runs daily, except in January and February, at 11 AM).
The hill visit is a guided, 15-20 minute walk up to the hills where the only free-roaming herd of reindeer takes residence.
We found it incredibly relaxing hanging out on the hills watching the Reindeer forage and interact with each other. We were allowed to stay up there as long as we wanted after the tour, but we only ended up staying until around 1 PM because of the chilly weather.
The reindeer look other-worldly in the stunning backdrop of the Scottish Highlands. Photo by Christa Rolls
Go Hiking and Birdwatching on one of the many trails
Glenmore Forest Park and Loch Morlich have wonderful hiking trails and are considered some of the best birdwatching destinations in the Highlands.
You can explore these areas on your own by stopping over at the Glenmore Forest Park Visitor Centre to get a map of hiking trails and conditions.
Scotland has Right to Roam laws, allowing you to go off-trail to explore more. Nonetheless, be cognizant of your footprint and watch where you’re walking!
Tip: For other top birding locations in the UK, check out the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) locations.
Within the Cairngorms, this includes Insh Marsh, Loch Garten, and just outside the park, Loch of Kinnordy.
RSPB is a nature conservation organization geared toward managing and acquiring land in the United Kingdom for the purpose of turning that land into reserves for birds and other wildlife. There are currently around 180 total reserves around the U.K.
The trail circumnavigating Loch Morlich is stunning any time of day, including sunrise. Photo by Christa Rolls
Step back in time at Blair Castle
Stop in the town of Blair Atholl at the foot of the Cairngorms to step back in time. Explore the village and marvel at the stunning 13th century Blair Castle.
The Castle closes around 31 October, however, winter and holiday events are periodically held in November and December. These include seeing a bag-piping Santa in his grotto, holiday fairs, touring the Castle decorated for Christmastime, and lunch at the Castle on Christmas Day.
The Castle also offers wildlife Range Rover tours year-round, where you can spot wildlife of the Scottish Highlands, such as red deer, badgers, various birds, pine marten, mountain hare, and more.
The nearby Queen’s View Visitor’s Center offers stunning views of the Cairngorm Mountains and surrounds.
The beauty of Blair Castle is only accentuated by the surrounding hills of the Cairngorms! Photo from Unsplash
Stargaze at Blairfindy Farm
If you’re feeling up to a drive later at night, check the aurora forecast for the region.
It’s rare for aurora sightings to occur so far south, and you won’t see them if the sky is cloudy, but it’s not impossible to see them either!
Scotland is home to a handful of dark sky parks, and the nearest to Aviemore is Glenlivet.
While the aurora can be rare to spot, it’s not impossible. And the stars are out of this world with the limited light pollution! Photo by M.C. Beaner
Photograph Ptarmigans in their white winter plumage
Look for snowy patches on the rocky mountain slopes, but be careful where you step, especially if there’s snow on the trail grounds. If you see white, pigeon-sized birds flying from snow patch to snow patch, it’s likely these are ptarmigans in their winter plumage!!
Most people will head straight up the Cairngorm Mountain trail, but we suggest heading on the trail heading southwest of the car park, following the Leth-choin creek.
Bring your binoculars and step lightly on the trail, keeping an eye and ear out for various wildlife, such as mountain hare, red grouse, ptarmigan, and capercaillie.
Red grouse will also flit from bush to bush as you walk along, and you’ll hear their distinctive “Daffy Duck-like,” “ping pong ball bouncing” call, and their dark, round figure float to further bushes for hiding.
Ptarmigan camouflage incredibly well in the snow, which is why they’re difficult to spot and more likely to be in the snowfields of Cairngorm Mountain. Photo by Nathan Rolls
Let us know in the comments which of these activities you’ve done or hope to do someday!
Happy travels!
Christa and Nathan
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