Intro to Cairngorms

At 2813 Square miles, the Cairngorms make it the largest national park in Britain, with 5 of the 6 of the UK’s highest mountains here as well, you know you have got to have a look. If that wasn’t enough, Balmoral Castle and estates are situated here as well.

Getting there

We were travelling North on the A93 through the park. This road travels through some of the most beautiful views

What to do

Balmoral Castle – so when we visited there were still restrictions due to Covid so the actual castle wasn’t open, however do not let that stop you, we wandered the grounds taking photos. There is a car park right by the entrance to the estate. Walking through the gates and the paths were easy to walk with different signs taking you on different things. Walking along the tree lined road it opens onto the truly breathtaking expanse of green which takes your eye and to the as you turn the impressive castle structure is there. Admission ticket to the castle ground are £15 for adults( not inclusive of the booking fee). You can still book afternoon tea. We wandered the garden, down the river, and the grounds. The cafe and restaurant were both open but needed to be booked.
Prince Albert Cairn (pyramid as shown below)- we had seen a photo of this and its not quite what you immediately think you will see in a castles estate in Scotland, so this was a must see for us. So come across Balmoral Bridge, the castle entrance is on your right, go left follow the road, pass the hairy coos, this is a road with no verge or pavement, turn right before the bridge, walk along, then right again near some houses, walk through to a gate, go through and start the uphill walk, you will pass princess Beatrice cairn keep going following the pathway, this route takes around 40 minutes to get to the cairn, its has some quite steep inclines so makes sure you have good walking footwear.
Royal Woodland walk- this is 6 miles and takes 2-3 hours depending on how fast you walk. Lots of Downloadable maps if needed.
The Park is expansive and we drove through and saw some spectacular views as we were only here for one day and making our way to Inverness to start the NC500.

We really enjoyed our time here and hope you do too!!

Other Things to Know

Currency – Pounds
There are places to stay here to soak up an idyllic English village.
Cost – adult ticket to the castle £15 plus booking fee.
No fee for the park
Weather – May 2021 was 20 degrees
IMPORTANT – Due to restrictions due to the Pandemic we were told that you need to book tickets online before trying to go in the castle. If there is a royal presence at the castle they are restrictions so please respect their privacy.