Geal-charn Mor and Craigellachie

Craigellachie Nature Reserve

Situated on the outskirts of Aviemore, Craigellachie National Nature Reserve is very accessible.

Craigellachie National Nature Reserve can be accessed from various points, including the MacDonald Resort. The most direct is from by SYHA Hostel at the southern end of the town, close to the Premier Inn.

There is limited parking by the start with various other places to park nearby, including by the pond in the MacDonald Resort or by the Old Bridge Inn. What was once a useful and large parking area by the roundabout at the southern end of the town, is now for the sole use of customers for the High Range Motel.

Heading up the path on Craigellachie

From the roadside, pass the SYHA Hostel and go under the A9 via an underpass . Now on the west side of the A9, you'll be met by a signboard for the reserve, with a smooth path heading uphill through a beautiful birch woodland.

The path comes to a junction with a direction post, bear left. A little further on, you'll come to another direction post with a narrow path heading off left - either direction will do and both paths lead onto a rough estate track .

Turn left and uphill on the estate track, which leads to some old waterworks. Beyond the waterworks, a well constructed path climbs north-west through the woodland. The path levels out a bit, swings south-east towards Craigellachie, climbs a bit more, then comes out of the woodland to a viewpoint - the views are are quite amazing for such little effort so far.

Continue up the well-maintained path as it scrambles up between rocks and heather. There's a large untidy cairn on Craigellachie's summit , from where the vast expanse of the Cairngorm plateau can be viewed. To the west on clear day you can see right down Laggan past Alder towards the Nevis range.

View west from Craigellachie

View west from Craigellachie

Geal-charn Mor from Craigellachie

The route initially onwards from Craigellachie is not too obvious, but basically aim for the northern shore of little Lochan Dubh below. There are faint trods through the deep heather on route that can help. Upon reaching Lochan Dubh, head around the north and west side of the lochan, where a faint path can be found leading to a low fence .

Over the fence, you'll immediately join with the head of a very wet track heading south-west downhill. The track meets with a large deer-fence - currently there is no gate in this, though the temporary nature of the binding gauze between two large and thick posts suggests one is about to be installed.

Beyond the deer-fence, continue to follow the track as it descends south-west over grassy and occasionally wet ground through a field often containing sheep. The track comes to the edge of woodland where it meets up with the 'Burma Road' .

Turn right onto the 'Burma Road' and follow this excellent track for 3km as it climbs 350m. On the way the Allt Dubh is crossed (good place to refresh water bottles) and a gate in the deer-fence is gone through before reaching the bealach between Geal-charn Mor and Geal-charn Beag.

At the bealach, you'll see a couple of cairns and a memorial. From these there are paths all heading south-west that climb up the east shoulder of Geal-charn Mor, all converging at various points before meeting a fence-line .

Nearing Geal-charn Mor's summit in winter

Nearing Geal-charn Mor's summit in winter

On Geal-charn Mor's summit looking to Meall a' Bhuachaillie

From the summit of Geal-charn Mor, return to the bealach , then head back down the track to to woodland and where you joined it .

I'd be guessing you wouldn't want to head back up Craigellachie, so instead continue a short distance further down the track until you come to a junction where there is a large gate in a deer-fence on your left. Head through this gate, then down a track for a distance of around 500m to drop to another gate .

Now on a tarred road, follow it south-east towards the A9 to reach a junction by some bins and a bridge over the Allt na Criche. Turn left and onto an old unused road and head into woodland.

Looking down the Burma Road

Looking down the Burma Road