Cairngorms Loop
'New' route (2023 onwards)
For 2023 the route has been updated in two places, as well as starting and finishing in Strathspey. After the start it now follows the Speyside Way to Boat of Garten before heading to Forest Lodge. In Deeside, the route now follows Glen Gairn all the way through to Glen Slugain, rather than climbing up and over the Bealach Dearg.
Original Route
Route Instructions
Click the
symbol in the top left corner of the interactive map above to show the layers.
The first-half of the route is displayed in red, and the second half of the route in yellow. The complete route is shown in blue. The image below indicates the direction of the route.
The route overlaps at two points. At the first route intersection in Feshie Bridge, be sure to turn right taking the clockwise inner loop around the Cairngorm Mountains and back to Feshie Bridge.
From Blair Atholl and the south (A), follow the red arrows north, then east around the north side of Cairngorm Mountains before heading south over the Lairig an Laoigh pass. At the Linn of Dee, the route heads west continuing clockwise to complete the Cairngorms inner loop. Crossing your earlier tracks, follow the yellow arrows north to past Aviemore before heading east to Tomintoul at the far north east corner of the route. Continue south to Braemar, then west back to the Linn of Dee, for a short while picking up the inner loop track before turning south back to Blair Atholl (B).