Hidden Scotland
Sign in
Cairngorms

Carrbridge

A village on the River Dulnain with a stone bridge of 1717, the Golden Spurtle porridge championship and red squirrels in the pine woods.

Visit website
Welcome

Carrbridge is a small village on the River Dulnain, below the Monadhliath Mountains and part of the Cairngorms National Park.

It is known for its old bridge of 1717, a high single arch of rough stone, built so that coffins could cross the river to the church at Duthil when the water was in spate.

The village has forest and riverside walks of its own, and the pine woods around it are home to red squirrels and crossbills. Two of its annual events are the Golden Spurtle, the World Porridge Making Championship, held in the village hall each October, and Carve Carrbridge, the chainsaw carving competition, each September. Aviemore is six miles south and Inverness half an hour away by road or rail, which makes Carrbridge a base for the Cairngorms.

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

The Daily for 8 November, from Scotland with love. An ivy-covered ruined tower stands on a small headland across the loch, autumn hills rising behind it through a screen of green leaves.
Before you go

A village with a station half a mile away, forest and riverside walks, and two annual events with dates already set for 2027.

Where
Carrbridge, on the River Dulnain in the Cairngorms National Park, six miles north of Aviemore. Inverness is half an hour away by road or rail.
Getting there
Carrbridge station, managed by ScotRail, is on the Highland Main Line between Aviemore and Inverness, a ten-minute walk (half a mile) from the village centre; about half of the trains stop. Coaches from across the UK run to Aviemore. Edinburgh and Glasgow are about three hours by road, and Inverness Airport is about 30 miles north.
By bike
National Cycle Network route 7, from Glasgow to Inverness, passes through Carrbridge.
Parking
A public car park beside the primary school.
Walks
Forest and riverside walks start in the village, and a village paths map can be downloaded from the village website. Hill walking surrounds the village on all sides.
Events
The Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship is on Saturday 2 October 2027, and Carve Carrbridge is on Saturday 4 September 2027.
Food
There are cafes, hotel bars and restaurants in the village, and a grocery with a Post Office.

Been here? Tell others what you know, and the best go on this page with your name.

Add your review

Did you know

A stone humpback bridge framed by out-of-focus golden birch leaves close to the lens, a wooded riverbank and pale sky beyond the arch.
Did you know

A bridge for coffins.

The packhorse bridge was built in 1717 so that people could carry coffins across the Dulnain to the churchyard when the river was in spate.

A stone humpback bridge arching over a river, seen through autumn birch branches with yellow leaves, mossy boulders in the foreground and pine trees behind.
Did you know

The World Porridge Championship.

Each October the village hall hosts the Golden Spurtle, where porridge makers from around the world compete to be World Porridge Champion.

A stone humpback bridge crossing a river, banked by autumn woodland with a bare tree standing pale against the sky beyond.
Did you know

Chainsaws in September.

Every September, Carve Carrbridge sees carvers turn big logs into sculptures with chainsaws.

A stone humpback bridge framed by out-of-focus golden birch leaves close to the lens, a wooded riverbank and pale sky beyond the arch.
Did you know

Six months to build.

The old bridge was built between May and November 1717, paid for out of the stipends of the parish of Duthil.

A stone humpback bridge over a river captured in a long exposure, the water blurred silk-smooth and tinted amber where fallen leaves drift beneath the arch.
Did you know

Red squirrel country.

The forests round Carrbridge are among the best places in Scotland to see red squirrels, with pine martens, crossbills and capercaillie too.

Hidden Scotland

From our guide to Cairngorms

Carrbridge is a small, friendly village on the River Dulnain at the northern edge of the national park, with the Monadhliath hills behind it. Most people stop for its old packhorse bridge, but it makes a quiet base too, with a station on the Highland Main Line and Aviemore six miles south. Every October the village hall hosts the Golden Spurtle, the World Porridge Making Championship, and each September chainsaw carvers turn logs into sculpture at Carve Carrbridge. The pinewoods round about are good for red squirrels, crested tits and crossbills.

Read more
A stone humpback bridge rises among autumn pines and a bare tree, golden birch leaves blurred across the lower foreground.
What is on

What is new across Cairngorms, day by day.

New places, news and stories, as we find them.

What is on in Cairngorms
01 / 07
Where it is

On the River Dulnain in the Cairngorms National Park, six miles north of Aviemore.

Close byNearby.
  1. The packhorse bridge arching over the River Dulnain.The Old Packhorse BridgeThe oldest stone bridge in the Highlands, a thin arch over the Dulnain built in 1717 to carry coffins to Duthil Church.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. The green clubhouse with its red roof above the first tee.Carrbridge Golf ClubA nine-hole course above Carrbridge, played for over a hundred years, rising to a thousand feet with views across the Cairngorms.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. A boardwalk through the pinewood.Landmark Forest Adventure ParkAn adventure park in the pinewoods at Carrbridge, with water coasters, treetop nets, a Forest Tower and a kingdom of dinosaurs.Under a mile 2 min by road
  4. A battlemented stone mausoleum in the churchyard.Duthil Old Parish Church and ChurchyardThe old parish church of Duthil near Carrbridge, rebuilt in 1826 and now the Clan Grant Centre, with Clan Grant memorials in its churchyard.3 miles 4 min by road
  5. Aerial view of a red-roofed cabin on a forested loch shoreLoch VaaA secluded woodland loch between Aviemore and Boat of Garten, with an esker path, a small boathouse and trout in the water.4 miles 7 min by road
  6. Loch Garten Nature ReserveLoch Garten Nature ReserveThe RSPB's Loch Garten in the Abernethy pine forest, known for its ospreys, with a Nature Centre, walking trails and geese at dusk in winter.9 miles 16 min by road
Directions
Timber-clad lodge with balcony overlooking a loch, framed by bare branchesCarrbridgeStrathspey LodgeSleeps 8 · 2.4 miles
The front of Andersons in Boat of Garten.RestaurantsAndersons Restaurant4.8 miles
AttractionsBoat of Garten Golf Club5.7 miles
Two guests by the wood-burning stove.CafeFoxfire Coffee6.0 miles
The dining room at Delaneys', with dark tables laid by tall windows on Grampian Road.RestaurantsDelaneys'6.3 miles
Timber-clad building entrance with glass doors and round wooden signAttractionsThe Cairngorm Brewery6.8 miles
Fruit scones fresh from the oven.CafeRoute 7 Café6.9 miles
AttractionsPlay golf in the Cairngorms7.0 miles
Sunlight slanting across the tables and wooden chairs in the Old Bridge Inn's dining room.BarsThe Old Bridge Inn7.0 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the village, and when each is next free.

Timber-clad lodge with balcony overlooking a loch, framed by bare branchesStrathspey Lodge
  • Sleeps 8
  • In Carrbridge
  • 2 miles from Carrbridge
Check datesEast Dell in spring sunshine, a low stone cottage with a red door and a mossy roof beside its garden and an old oak.East Dell
  • Sleeps 5
  • In Nethy Bridge
  • 7 miles from Carrbridge
Check datesA wooden gate in a picket fence opens onto Little Dell's green garden, with cow parsley and a wooden bench beyond.Little Dell
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Nethy Bridge
  • 7 miles from Carrbridge
Check datesWest Dell, a whitewashed stone cottage with a red door and a slate roof, in low winter sun.West Dell
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Nethy Bridge
  • 7 miles from Carrbridge
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in the CairngormsAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Read on

What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in the Cairngorms.

From the magazineExperiencing Scottish Traditions Through Local EventsArticleThe Best Walks in the CairngormsCollectionThe Prettiest Villages in Scotland
More in the Cairngorms
Find out more

For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .