Meall a' Bhuachaille – Glenmore's Hill, a Bothy and Lunch
A day.
The route
Meall a' Bhuachaille, the herdsman's hill, is the rounded summit that rises over Glenmore and Loch Morlich, and it's a hill a fit walker can climb in a morning.
The way up passes the Green Lochan and Ryvoan Bothy before a steep pull to a wide view over the pinewoods to the Cairngorms. Afterwards, a late lunch by the stove at the Winking Owl in Aviemore puts the warmth back. It suits fit walkers used to hill paths.
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
Glenmore
A hill morning that starts early and ends by the fire. Through the pinewoods and up the open hill to the top, back down the same way, then into Aviemore for a well-earned late lunch.
About six hoursAbout 7.5 miles on foot
Meall a' Bhuachaille
The climb starts at the Glenmore Visitor Centre, on the ski road just past Loch Morlich. Its car park is run by the Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust and charges, so pay at the machine. Meall a' Bhuachaille is 810 metres high, and the way up and back is about 12 km: allow four to five hours. The way up runs through the pines past An Lochan Uaine, the Green Lochan, and along the Ryvoan Pass to Ryvoan Bothy, about 4 km from the start. From the bothy a stony path climbs steeply up the open hillside to the cairn on top, with Glenmore, Loch Morlich and the northern Cairngorms spread out below. The way down is the same. After the 2026 wildfire, stay on the open tracks and paths through the forest, and don't carry on past the bothy towards Nethy Bridge, as that part of the pass is still closed. Take boots, waterproofs, warm layers, food, a map and a compass, check the mountain forecast before you go, and turn back if the cloud comes down. In an emergency, call 999 and ask for the police, then mountain rescue.
20 min by car
The Winking Owl
Lunch
Lunch is at the Winking Owl on Grampian Road in Aviemore, 20 minutes' drive down the ski road and a few minutes' walk from the station. It's a pub with a wood-burning stove and Cairngorm Brewery ales, serving food all day from noon, every day, which suits a late lunch after the hill. Dogs and children are welcome. Over Christmas and New Year, check before going.
If it rains
In rain or low cloud the top is cold, slippery and viewless: walk the Ryvoan Trail to the Green Lochan and back to the visitor centre instead (5.8 km, allow two and a half hours), and go on to lunch at the Winking Owl as planned.
