Craigellachie National Nature Reserve

Written by Chris Thornton | 24th of January 2025

Located directly next to Aviemore, overlooking the town, is Craigellachie National Nature Reserve (not to be confused with the village of Craigellachie). This fantastic walk takes in a silver birch forest, picturesque lochs and a walk to the summit of the hill offering stunning views over Aviemore, Cairngorm Mountains and over to Loch Alvie and Loch Insh.

I've been coming to Aviemore for a long time, since the mid-80s and every year multiple times for the last 12 years. It truly is my happy place, and I've seen and done most things in this beautiful part of the Scottish Highlands... but believe it or not, never the Craigellachie National Nature Reserve. Despite being directly next to our favourite accommodation in Aviemore - Scandinavian Village - it never seemed the right time to walk here.

After a hectic festive season, my wife and I took a few days' break in Aviemore and walked over 15 miles. We were lucky to have chosen a lovely, still winter weekend; we couldn't have had better conditions for walking, so we decided to finally climb Craigellachie Hill and check it off our bucket list!

Our visit to Craigellachie National Nature Reserve

We were staying at the Premier Inn at the southern end of Aviemore. Luckily, the walk started just across the road at Aviemore Youth Hostel. We parked up here and found the entrance to the nature reserve a short distance down the path.

The car park for Craigellachie Nature Park.
Aviemore Youth Hostel Car Park.
 
Reserve entrance
Craigellachie National Nature Reserve entrance.
 
Start of the Craigellachie Nature Trail.
The start of the nature trail.

A small tunnel led us under the A9 to information boards with information about the available routes and general information about the nature reserve.

Craigellachie National Nature Reserve information boards.
The information boards.
 
Trail map
Map of the trail up to the summit.

Silver Birch Trees & Loch

If there's one thing that defines the Aviemore area, it's the prevalence of silver birch trees, which are everywhere. This walk was no different. Silver birch woodland has a unique magic, and glimpsing the Cairngorms through the trees as we walked seemed to amplify this even more.

Mountains and trees on the Craigellachie trail.
Mountains and trees!

Following the path took us to the first loch on the route. I couldn't find a name for this loch other than "The Old Reservoir", but it was very picturesque. It was lined with yet more silver birch and partially frozen on this cold January morning.

The Old Reservoir near Aviemore
The Old Reservoir.
 
Tree fringed lochs
After all my years in Aviemore, I didn't know about this loch.
 
Old reservoir gate.
Old reservoir machinery.
 
Steep path
The path gets much steeper and rockier.
 
Janette Thornton
Janette leads the way.

Ascending higher

As we made our way higher, the birch woodland gave way to a more rocky path, which offered nice views over the treetops. The mass of forest northwest of Aviemore looks impressive, stretching all the way to the horizon, it felt quite wild despite being just 20 minutes from the bustle of the town.

The expansive forest near Aviemore.
Trees as far as the eye can see.

The path became much steeper, and we felt a bit out of puff! A super-fit runner effortlessly gliding past us at top speed made this all the worse. Some people are just show-offs!

Steep rocky path.
The path gets steeper and more difficult as it goes.
 

Scenic Photo Post #1

Luckily, we didn't have to walk much further. We found scenic photo post #1 and a glorious view of Aviemore.

Photo post
I was glad to see this photo post!
 
Photo post picture.
The view when my camera was placed on the photo post.
 
Central Aviemore.
Scandinavian Village and the town centre seen from the viewpoint.
 
Panoramic view from Craigellachie Hill.
A panoramic view of the valley containing Aviemore.

Continuing our walk, we could see the cairn a short distance up the path so we continued on to reach the summit.

The top of Craigellachie Hill

For such a relatively short walk, the views rewarded at the summit cairn are beyond belief. You can take in the entire Cairngorm mountain range and see miles to the south, including Loch Alvie and Loch Insh.

The amazing view from the Craigellachie summit.
The cairn, Loch Dubh, Loch Alvie and Loch Insh.

While down in Aviemore, there wasn't a breath of wind at the summit. The wind was so strong that I could hardly stand. Janette gingerly made her way to the cairn to place a stone she had collected on the trail. Loch Dubh can be seen here at the summit.

Janette Thornton placing a stone on Craigellachie summit.
Janette placing her cairn stone.
   
Loch Dubh.
Loch Dubh.
 
Craigellachie Cairn.
View of the cairn from the other side.

We spent about 10 minutes here taking in the views, but the wind was so strong, and it was a bit cold, so we retraced our steps back down the path. Interestingly, we somehow made a wrong turn on the walk back and ended up passing through a gate and arriving at the A9 motorway. We crossed the road and found ourselves at the rear of the swimming pool at the McDonald Resort. This was fine by us as we had worked up quite the appetite and headed down to the Cairngorm Hotel for our lunch.

Our walk stats from Craigellachie National Nature Reserve.
Our walk stats from the Samsung fitness app.

FAQs on Craigellachie National Nature Reserve

How tall is Craigellachie Hill?

496 meters / 1627 feet.

How difficult is the walk to the top of Craigellachie Hill?

It depends on your fitness level. If you are a seasoned hill walker, this would be an easy walk; if you're not used to it, I would say this would be an intermediate-level walk. It has some steep sections, and the path becomes less defined and rocky as you go.

If you're looking for a quick, simple walk, a walk to the loch can be completed in less than 10 minutes and has fairly flat paths. Heading to the cairn at the top is more strenuous.

How far is the walk from Aviemore Railway Station?

It's about a 10-minute walk to the youth hostel car park. Follow the road south and look for the nature reserve sign at the far side of the road. The nearest bus stop is also near the railway station.

What wildlife can be seen within Craigellachie Nature Reserve?

We didn't see much in January, but it's possible to see deer, peregrine falcons, buzzards, and many butterflies and moths.

Key Information

  • Craigellachie National Nature Reserve encompasses a small area west of Aviemore and the A9 motorway.

  • The nature reserve is within the Cairngorms National Park.

  • The circular route passes silver birch trees, lochs, and mountainous sections and ends at the cairn at the top of the hill.

  • The walk begins near the Aviemore youth hostel car park in south Aviemore.

  • It took my wife and me about 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete the walk.

Chris & Janette Thornton at the Craigellachie summit.
Janette and me at the summit.

Conclusion

The Craigellachie Nature Reserve is such a great walk, just minutes from the centre of Aviemore. I can't believe I left it for so long to undertake this fantastic trail. If you're staying in Aviemore and fancy a challenging trail with amazing views, I highly recommend walking through Craigellachie National Nature Reserve and summiting Craigellachie Hill.

All information was correct at the time of writing, please check things like entry costs and opening times before you arrive.

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