A Day in the Cairngorms – Rothiemurchus & Glen More
A day by car, from Loch an Eilein to An Lochan Uaine.
Written by Graeme Johncock
The Cairngorm mountains rise in the middle of Scotland, and at their heart you’ll find Rothiemurchus & Glen More. Tucked away behind the popular town of Aviemore, it’s a vast estate with lochs, hills, forests and above all else, stories.
The route
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
Book Cairngorm Reindeer Centre
Book as soon as tickets open, 30 days ahead to the hour of the trip: they sell out, weekdays included, and the Centre has only a few wellies to hire for anyone without boots.
Loch an Eilein
An attraction
After leaving the town and heading along a few winding roads, you’ll reach Loch an Eilein where there’s a good-sized car park, although it costs a small fee. The name means the loch of the island and if you head along the path through the trees along the right-hand side of the water, it soon comes into view. Even in its dilapidated state, you can’t miss the ruins of Loch an Eilein Castle, taking up almost the entire island with the water lapping at its walls. Built in the 13th century, it was once home to the notorious Wolf of Badenoch. Amazingly, it was still lived in by Jean Gordon when she sheltered fleeing Jacobites there after Culloden in 1746! White Croft Company Before heading back to the car, take a short detour to the White Croft Company shop in an old cottage near the toilets. While you can grab some snacks or ice cream inside, it’s the scattered collection of antiques and local crafts that always grabs my attention!
About 5 min by car
The Doune of Rothiemurchus
One of my favourite locations to show people isn’t far away at the Doune of Rothiemurchus. There’s no car park, so it can take a little bit of time to walk from the nearest safe space, but it’s well worth the effort. As you plod down a grassy track between ancient pines, oaks and sycamores, eventually an enclosure surrounded by yew trees appears. Inside lies the ruins of an old church with very peculiar grave covered in a metal cage. That’s the resting place of Seath Mor, chief of Clan Shaw in the 14th century and said to be a fearsome warrior. It’s believed his spirit roams Rothiemurchus challenging travellers to fight! On his grave, 5 strange looking stones can be seen beneath the cage. Local legend says that anybody who touches the stones will suffer great misfortune and there were so many victims that the grave had to be protected this way in the 1980s!
The Barn at Rothiemurchus
A café
After spending the morning on Rothiemurchus estate, it makes sense to eat some local produce at the Barn! The specials are laid out canteen style with local meat usually on the menu, although I tend to go for the Cullen Skink. You can find more local produce in the wee shop next door.
About 10 min by car
Loch Morlich
An attraction
Deeper into the mountains along Glen More lies Loch Morlich, with its beautiful sandy beach. No matter the weather, this scenic spot is a special place with crystal clear water reflecting the vast forest and surrounding mountains. For anybody interested in water sports, there are boats, kayaks and canoes available to hire or it’s a 6km circuit around the loch if you need to stretch your legs.
Cairngorm Reindeer Centre
An attraction
For something unique, these mountains are home to Scotland’s only wild herd of reindeer! A visit to the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre gives you the chance to get up close and personal with these amazing animals that once roamed much of Scotland. Sadly, they were hunted to extinction and so this reintroduced herd have to be carefully managed. If you have plenty of time, then tickets are available to head out to the hills to feed the main herd for a couple of hours. For those without the time or fitness to manage that, the reindeer spend a few days in a paddock at the centre on rotation. They can’t be fed or handled in the paddock, but you’ll still be able to admire them up close!
About 40 min on foot
An Lochan Uaine
An attraction
End the day with a short hike out to an extraordinary wee place. An Lochan Uaine is much smaller than Loch Morlich, but it’s got a very special quality – it’s green! Nobody knows for sure where the Green Lochan gets its colour, theories stretch from the reflection of the trees or a special type of algae, however, storytellers know better. We know that this is where the fairies wash their clothes! Fairies are typically portrayed wearing green, so the colour of their laundry has leaked into the water here and turned it this bright colour! It’s a quiet spot and an easy stroll to get here, just hope you don’t bump into any mischievous fairies on the walk back!
Make it a weekend
Days that start near An Lochan Uaine.
More days by Graeme
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