A short walk from the centre of Aviemore with excellent views of the Cairngorms and a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of the town and into a National Nature Reserve renowned for its birch trees and peregrine falcon crags.
Summary
Waymarked path throughout
Terrain
NH894118
Grid ref
2.5km/1.5 miles
Distance
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Pronunciation
and meaning
1. The walk is signed from the south end of the main street next to the entrance to the Youth Hostel. The parking up this road is for the Youth Hostel only. You can also join the walk from the Macdonald Highland Resort by following the link path around the right hand fence of the children's play area and then around the far side of a pond to meet the main route by the tunnel under the A9 – the noise from which detracts from this walk. From the Youth Hostel follow the path uphill and then down and through the tunnel under the thunderingly busy road. Despite this unimpressive start, the path soon climbs into a pretty silver birch wood.
2. Continue on the path straight ahead and ignore a path to the right that leads down to a lochan. Follow the green arrows to take an uphill path on the left which climbs part way up the steep slopes by the crag. After a while the path levels off and a second comes into view below.
3. Continue on the path which has increasingly good views over Aviemore – dominated by the incongruous tall MacDonald hotel - and to the ski-runs on Cairn Gorm. The path contours around the natural amphitheatre made by the shape of the rocky crags and eventually reaches a track.
4. Turn right and head downhill on the track. Near the bottom turn right onto a path heading around the pond. The path is signed with a green arrow. Cross a small stream and continue on the meandering path taking a right hand turn at a fork and then right again. Soon you will rejoin the outward path; keep left here and go back through the tunnel and then down onto the main road, passing the Youth Hostel on your right.
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