Trip created by Stevie Christie
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Region: Cairngorms and Central Highlands
Trip Type: Wilderness Walking
Accommodation: Classic
Max Group Size: 8
Confirmed: When 3 Travellers Book
Deposit From: £571.25 £571.25

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Venture into Scotland’s grandest mountain range – the mighty Cairngorms.

Hike among the majestic scenery of hills, forests and lochs while enjoying outstanding hospitality on this all-inclusive hiking tour.

High-level trailheads and a network of good paths mean that accessing the high summits of Cairngorms National Park is more achievable than they may first appear. Based at a private wilderness lodge in beautiful Glen Feshie, we’ll explore the northern and western side of this huge National Park. We’ll focus on hiking to some of the finest peaks in the area and enjoy wild mountain views everywhere we go.

With summits rising to 4000ft in height, the Cairngorm peaks are vast rolling hills connected by a dramatic plateau, and this high-level tundra is broken by steep-sided glens and corries, where the hills fall away to beautiful pinewoods, still lochs and grassy fields. The National Park is a haven for rare and iconic species such as ptarmigan, capercaillie, red squirrels and osprey.

Trip Highlights

Explore the high reaches and hidden corners of the beautiful Cairngorm Mountains
Hike on good trails across the high tundra, looking out for rare wildlife as you walk
Enjoy the warm hospitality of our private lodge, with all meals included

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 – A Small Starter Summit

We meet at Aviemore railway station at 10.30am and then transfer a short distance to enjoy a hike up a little mountain with big views. A short climb through pinewoods, steep in places, takes us to the summit at 487m. There are prominent views of Strathspey, and we can look across the valley at some of the other peaks we will take on during this week. Descending to pretty Loch Gynack, you will feel like you’re still in the wilderness – but we’re almost back in the village. A short transfer takes us to our private lodge, which is tucked away in an idyllic spot on the banks of the River Feshie. (L, D)

Walk details: 7km/ 4 miles | 275m/ 900 ft ascent | approx. 3-4 hours

Day 2 – Classic Cairngorms Hike

Today we will do a classic Scottish hill walk – the Northern Corries of the Cairngorms, including Cairngorm itself. Starting from 600m we hike straight into a wild mountain environment. We pass under the cliffs of the Northern Corries keeping a look out for Scotland’s only herd of reindeer, which often graze here. A steady climb brings us to the main plateau amidst ever greater views. From here, we can pick our route, following the tops of the corries and maybe detouring to enjoy an elevated view of remote Loch Avon. A final climb takes us onto the summit of Cairngorm Mountain, the 6th highest peak in the UK. (B, L, D)

Walk details: 11km/ 7 miles | 775m/ 2540 ft ascent | approx. 6-7 hours

Day 3 – Into Glen Feshie

Glen Feshie is thought by many to be the most beautiful of the Cairngorm glens. Today’s hike takes us into the upper glen, passing through beautiful ancient Caledonian pine forests en-route to a remote and rarely visited peak. We’re almost guaranteed to have the summit to ourselves. As we hike, we’ll keep an eye out for golden eagles and red deer, which inhabit this glen. (B, L, D)

Walk details: 23km/ 14 miles | 785m/ 2575 ft ascent | approx 8 hours

Day 4 – Western Summits

Today we head slightly further south, but keep within the boundaries of Cairngorms National Park. We’ll take on two summits offering far reaching views. Despite starting next to a busy road, this is soon forgotten as we follow a trail alongside a bubbling burn, gradually gaining height as we go. A steep pull takes us onto the plateau and then we enjoy a high-level hike, connecting the two peaks and taking in wide vistas across Loch Ericht and Ben Alder, all the way west to Ben Nevis. (B, L, D)

Walk details: 16km/ 10 miles | 900m/ 2950 ft ascent | approx. 7-8 hours

Day 5 – Hill of the Shepherd

At the northern reach of the Cairngorms are several peaks overlooking the wild Abernethy Forest. We choose one of these hills today – Meall a Buachaille (Hill of the Shepherd). We start our walk by passing through a steep sided pass and the beautiful ‘Fairy Lochan’. Beyond the pass, we turn left at an old bothy and start a steady ascent up a good trail that leads us directly to the summit. On the way down we enjoy the fabulous views of bigger hills to the south and Loch Morlich. (B, L, D)

Walk details: 9km/ 6 miles | 550m/ 1800 ft ascent | approx. 4-5 hours

Day 6 – Wild Cairngorms Peaks

Today we set out to climb the peak of Sgor Gaoith, which is prominent from our lodge. A good trail takes us through wonderful pinewoods before climbing up onto the plateau. On reaching the pointed summit, the land falls away suddenly and we find ourselves gazing down at remote Loch Einich and across it to the wild corries of Braeriach, the 3rd highest peak in Britain. This is a prized summit and one you’ll remember for many years. (B, L, D)

Walk details: 14km/ 9 miles | 915m/ 3000 ft ascent | approx. 7-8 hours

Day 7 – Above the Forest

We enjoy an easy and reflective final day hike. A stone’s throw from our lodge are the Uath Lochans, favoured by bird-watchers and in-the-know locals. We’ll hike around the lochs and up to the little summit of Farleitter Crag, which offers expansive views across the pinewoods to the main Cairngorm plateau. Afterwards, a short transfer takes us back to Aviemore in time to connect with trains heading north to Inverness or south to Edinburgh and Glasgow. (B, L)

Walk details: 4km/ 2 miles | 165m/ 540 ft ascent | approx. 1-2 hours

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Wilderness Walking

High Points of the Cairngorms National Park

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Trip Dates & Prices

Trip Dates for 2023	Availability	Status	Price	Book
17th Jun - 23rd Jun 2023	3 places left	CONFIRMED	£2,285	Book Now
15th Jul - 21st Jul 2023	1 place left	CONFIRMED	£2,285	Book Now
12th Aug - 18th Aug 2023	2 places left	CONFIRMED	£2,285	Book Now
30th Sep - 6th Oct 2023	5 places left	CONFIRMED	£2,285	Book Now

Trip Details

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Accommodation Read More

This walking holiday enjoys accommodation in a private mountain lodge set in the beautiful surroundings of Glen Feshie. The area around the lodge has abundant wildlife to spot and the grass outside is grazed by Highland cattle.

Accommodation is a choice of double or twin rooms with ensuite facilities.

The lodge is unlicensed, so there will be an opportunity to stop at a local shop on the first day to purchase any alcoholic drinks you would like during your stay.

Single rooms

There is no single person supplement charged to solo travellers, however you may be required to share a room with another person of the same sex. If you require a single room please request this at the time of booking and we can check to see if one is available for you. On this trip there is no supplement for single rooms as we have exclusive use of the lodge.

Meals Read More

All meals, from lunch on Day 1 through to lunch on Day 7 are included.

Breakfast and evening meals will be fully catered at the lodge and packed lunches will be provided each day. Included dinners are two courses as standard.

The lodge is unlicensed, so there will be an opportunity to stop at a local shop on the first day to purchase any alcoholic drinks you would like during your stay.

Inclusions Read More

6 nights accommodation in a private wilderness lodge
All meals, from lunch on Day 1 through to lunch on Day 7 (Meals included indicated as B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
The services of an experienced and knowledgeable guide / driver throughout
All transport throughout the trip starting and finishing in Aviemore

Trip Grading Read More: Blue Graded 4-6
Blue graded walking holidays are suitable for fit and experienced hikers. We walk at a good pace and you can expect to be out for 6-8 hours a day. You will not always be on a path and the terrain underfoot can be rough and boggy, including boulder fields and mountain tops. Some of the daily walks will involve a mountain ascent of over 3000ft / 900m high. Daily distances will be typically up to 16km but may be longer occasionally. Daily hike details are available in the itinerary.

Travel – Arrival and Departure Read More: You will be met by your Wilderness Scotland Guide at Aviemore Railway Station at 10.30am on Day 1 of your trip. We aim to be back at the station by 1.30pm on the final day. It’s a small station so you should find the group and guide quite easily!

Other Read More

The services of an experienced and knowledgeable guide/driver throughout
All transport throughout the trip starting and finishing in Aviemore

Make This Trip Private

Fancy this trip just for your group? Get together with family and friends spend quality time exploring wild places. A private trip allows you to benefit from all the features of the group departure, including hand-picked accommodation and expert local guides but with the advantage of the flexibility to tailor the days to your group. Make the trip more or less challenging depending on your experience or choose to add in some optional extras like castle or distillery visits depending on your interests. The price of a private trip will depend on the number of travellers in your group. Let us know your prefered departure date and we'll take care of the rest.

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Chris Page

Our friendly office team hail from across the world but share a passion for the outdoor and wild spaces of Scotland. We are committed to providing you with the best customer service and are more than happy to chat through options and provide help and advice. Get in touch to find your perfect adventure.

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Meet Your Guide

Keith Miller
17th Jun - 23rd Jun 2023

Joe Mann
15th Jul - 21st Jul 2023

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Difficulty Grades Explained

Blue Graded Walking Holidays

Blue graded walking holidays are suitable for fit and experienced hikers. We walk at a good pace and you can expect to be out for 6-8 hours a day. You will not always be on a path and the terrain underfoot can be rough and boggy, including boulder fields and mountain tops. Some of the daily walks will involve a mountain ascent of over 3000ft / 900m high. Daily distances will be typically up to 16km but may be longer occasionally. Daily hike details are available in the itinerary.

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Trip Reviews

Rated 4.95 out of 5 based on 39 reviews of Wilderness Walking – High Points of the Cairngorms National Park

Every client receives a feedback survey when they return from their guided, self guided or tailor made holiday with us. Once completed the review is published on our website just as soon as our database updates. The little touches and details are important to us and where issues are raised we make positive changes to our trips to improve your experience.

That’s why we read each of our client’s reviews and although we don’t respond to all of them, if it’s glowing feedback then we get the satisfaction of helping to make your holidays truly memorable.

Tina Nash

Reviewed on 25/10/2022

Age: 50 - 60
Country: Bermuda
Trip Date: 15/10/2022
Trips Taken: 1

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

Flawless experience from start to finish!!

Joseph O'Hara

Reviewed on 24/10/2022

Age: 50 - 60
Country: United States
Trip Date: 15/10/2022
Trips Taken: 1

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

A friend invited us on this trip to get a taste of Scotland, the overall experience was great, were glad we came and had a great time. Thank you.

James Lockhart

Reviewed on 30/07/2022

Age: 70 - 80
Country: USA
Trip Date: 16/07/2022
Trips Taken: 1

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

I would definitely recommend the trip and Wilderness Scotland to others.

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Wilderness England

High Points of the Cairngorms National Park

Travel Planning & Advice

Trip Highlights

Did you know?

This trip can be booked as a private departure

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 – A Small Starter Summit

Day 2 – Classic Cairngorms Hike

Day 3 – Into Glen Feshie

Day 4 – Western Summits

Day 5 – Hill of the Shepherd

Day 6 – Wild Cairngorms Peaks

Day 7 – Above the Forest

Trip Dates & Prices

Trip Details

Single rooms

Blue Graded 4-6

Photo Gallery

Make This Trip Private

Speak to an Expert

Chris Page

Meet Your Guide

Difficulty Grades Explained

Blue Graded Walking Holidays

Trip Reviews

Pre-Trip Service

Trip Comments

Accommodation & Food

Your Guide

The Bottom Line

Pre-Trip Service

Trip Comments

Accommodation & Food

Your Guide

The Bottom Line

Pre-Trip Service

Trip Comments

Accommodation & Food

Your Guide

The Bottom Line

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