National Park Walks with Kids: More Great Cairngorms Walks
Posted by Ellen, mum of 2 @our_highland_life shares her favourite walks in Cairngorms National Park with us as part of our National Park Walks with Kids series, for National Walking Month. on 27th Apr 2022
Ellen, mum of 2 @our_highland_life shares her favourite walks in Cairngorms National Park with us as part of our National Park Walks with Kids series, for National Walking Month.
A DAY IN THE CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK
Cairngorm National Park is the biggest national park in the UK. Boasting one-third of the UK land above 600 meters and one-quarter of Scotland's native forest!
We are lucky enough to stay a quick 40 minute drive away from Aviemore a beautiful town nestled in the National park. We thought we would share some of our favourite walks in the area.
AN LOCHAN UAINE (GREEN LOCH)
Walk time- 20-35 minutes depending on how little your kids are!
Start point- Drive past the Glenmore outdoor centre and park near the gate (make sure you don’t block access). You can also park at the visitor centre and take the trickier trail but you would need to be careful with very young children!
The Walk- The main path is very easy going and suitable for a decent buggy. The other path is steeper and traverses the hill through beautiful pine forest, it definitely makes for a more exciting walk. You can combine the two to do a loop as well. If you want to extend your walk you can continue past the Loch to Ryvoan Bothy or even on to climb Meall a' Bhuachaille (Hill of the Shepard) a Corbett.
The loch itself is absolutely beautiful and lives up to its name. The green colour is thought to be because of the reflection of the surrounding trees but local legend says it’s from fairies washing there clothes in it! Pack a picnic and bask in its glory, maybe even dip your feet in.
Following this you can double back to the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre and book a hill trip to feed the reindeer or just visit their paddocks and learn all about these beautiful creatures. The hill trips are 1.5 - 2 hours and involve a steep uphill walk but it’s well worth it to come face to face with the reindeer! You will be able to hand feed them and get some amazing pictures.
Alternatively there’s Loch Morlich, a beautiful fresh water Loch surrounded by Scots pine forest. A walk around the Loch takes 1.5-2 hours with good paths all the way around. It’s perfect for the bikes as well. If you just fancy enjoying the scenery the sandy beach is the perfect picnic spot or of the cafe is open grab a bite there. You could even hire some water sports equipment from Loch Morlich Watersports!
These are only 3 of many amazing walks/activities available in the vast Cairngorms National Park. A few others I would highly recommend are Loch an Eilean where you can spot the island it was named after, sporting a ruined castle, Rothiemurchus Forest where you might spot a rare capercaillie or Loch Vaa a secluded and beautiful Loch perfect for a wild swim!
