Loch an Eilein – An Island Castle, Old Pines and Lunch
A few hours.
The route
Loch an Eilein Castle is a ruin on a tiny island in a loch ringed by old Scots pines, just outside Aviemore, and in autumn the trees on its island turn gold.
A walk round the water brings it into view again and again, and lunch is in Aviemore at Ryvoan Café, a loft-style deli-café looking out to the hills.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Park Cottage in Kincraig, 5 miles away. Sleeps 6; next free Fri 23 Oct to Sun 25 Oct.
The day
Rothiemurchus
A gentle walk round a loch with a castle in it, in the Rothiemurchus pinewoods. Then into Aviemore for a long, unhurried lunch.
About three and a half hoursAbout 3 miles on foot
Loch an Eilein Castle
An attraction
The Rothiemurchus estate's car park at Loch an Eilein is down a lane from Inverdruie. The lane is shared with walkers and bikes, and its narrow bridge doesn't suit motorhomes, caravans or coaches. The car park is attended, and the estate charges £2 for one person in a car, £4 for two and £5 for three or more at the time of writing. A few minutes' walk along the path brings you to the shore, and there it is: a ruined castle filling a small island, its walls half hidden by trees. It probably dates from the late 14th century, a refuge from the war bands who came down the old Thieves' Road, and the story goes that the Wolf of Badenoch built it. From the shore you can walk the path right round the loch, about 5 km through old pines on good low-level paths, with roots, stones and gentle rises: allow an hour and a half to two hours. Keep dogs under control, as birds nest on the ground here.
11 min by car
Ryvoan Café
Lunch
Lunch is at Ryvoan Café, 11 minutes' drive into Aviemore, in Unit 3D at the Myrtlefield business park: a loft-style deli-café with seasonal dishes, its own cakes and views over the Strathspey Railway to the mountains. It opens Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 4pm, and shuts on Sundays and Mondays, when this is a walk without the lunch. Over Christmas and New Year, check before going.
If it rains
Much of the path round the loch is under the pines, so a shower does little harm; in heavy rain, walk only the few minutes out to the castle view and back, and go early to lunch.
