Cairngorms & Central Highlands

The Cairngorms sit at the heart of the Central Highlands and are home to four of Scotland’s five highest mountains. It’s a wild, wide-open landscape – a massive sub-arctic plateau surrounded by beautiful glens, ancient forests and sparkling lochs.

It’s a year-round haven for hikers, photographers and lovers of big, dramatic landscapes. In winter, the hills transform into a snowy wonderland, perfect for skiing, stargazing and spotting Britain’s only free-ranging reindeer herd.

August brings a haze of purple heather across the hillsides while the forests come alive with wildlife. Red squirrels, pine martens, red deer, golden eagles, and ospreys all make their home here – and if you’re lucky, you might spot a capercaillie, ptarmigan or even a wildcat. The slower pace of hiking, wildlife watching and photography lets you soak it all in.

Flowing through the north of the park is the River Spey, central to Speyside – one of Scotland’s most celebrated whisky regions. The distilleries here are part of the landscape, and a dram always tastes better when you’ve earned it on the trail.

Royal Deeside is on the park’s eastern edge, a place long loved by the British Royal Family. Balmoral Castle, their Scottish holiday home, sits among the hills and rivers, and it’s where the late Queen Elizabeth II spent her final days – a place famously close to her heart.

Further west, the Great Glen cuts across the Highlands, stretching from Fort William to Inverness. It’s a natural corridor of lochs, forests and striking views. At its centre lies Loch Ness – deep, mysterious and famous worldwide. Whether scanning the deep waters for signs of Nessie, wandering the shoreline, or exploring the ruins of Urquhart Castle, it’s hard not to get swept up in the legend.

This really is classic Scottish Highlands – dramatic, iconic and full of stories.