Craigellachie Nature Reserve

An oasis of calm near busy resort of Aviemore

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Despite its name, this nature reserve is in Aviemore. The Craigellachie village of whisky fame is nearly 40 miles away.

When you visit Aviemore, you might think the A9 cuts off everything to the east of the dual carriageway, but this lovely quiet park is accessed UNDER the A9 and makes it an oasis of calm in a busy resort.

Four trails

There is ample parking in the Aviemore resort ring road, and the walks are signposted from here, where the pathway takes you on a 10-minute walk before reaching the park. The path goes underneath the A9 and you can choose from four trails:

  • The Lochan (0.7km) gentle walk around the loch
  • The Woodland Trail (1km) – more strenuouse with steep climbs
  • The Buzzard Trail (1.7km)
  • The Viewpoint Trail (4.4km) – a steep

The latter trail is a steep hike to the summit of the park, at around 500m. It’s rocky and uneven, but gives rewarding views over Aviemore towards the Cairngorms.

The trail takes you past lochs, towering crags, mature birchwood and tree-fringed lochs, and promises woodland flowers in spring, dragonflies in summer and brilliant leaf colour in autumn.

How to get to Craigellachie Nature Reserve

Drive through Aviemore and turn into the Macdonald Aviemore Resort. Follow the one-way system until you see a large grassy area on the left with a playpark and car park.

Park here and walk past the playpark, turn left onto a path which goes parallel to the A9 go past the pond, and you’ll come across a tunnel under the dual carriageway where the information board explains the different routes. There are a few steps here.

Further information

We currently have no external resources about this attraction. T: 01463 725219
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Facilities

Parking on-site or nearby Children welcome Walkers welcome

Travel itinerary planner

Craigellachie Nature Reserve is in the following sections: Rather than give you a fixed itinerary, here you’ll find details of nearby attractions and links (tags) to help you find activities similar to those at this location. Don’t rush, slow down, go at your own pace and enjoy your experiences fully. You can use this information to help you plan your stay without missing a thing.
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