Walking in the Cairngorms National Park

A fantastic selection of walking holidays in the Cairngorms National Park. Whether you are after a more challenging week, or a gentler weekend, these guided group trips take place in some stunning scenery with rugged munros and heather clad moorland as a backdrop.

Located in the Eastern Highlands of Scotland, the Cairngorms National Park is home to five out of six of Scotland’s highest mountains. The Cairngorm mountain range is the highest in the UK – the snow can stay on the mountains up until August / September. The landscape is barren and wild, with heather covered moorland creating the perfect home for small birds, which in turn brings Golden Eagles and Peregrine Falcons to the area. In the lower glens, ancient Caledonian forest and provide a contrast to the wilds of the mountains.

In such a vast area – the Cairngorms is the UK’s largest National Park – the options for hill-walking are endless. Over the course of the spring and summer months, there are several different guided weekend and week long holidays available, meaning that there is something for everyone.

All of the walking weeks / weekends are based out of a comfortable lodge and lead by experienced and qualified guides. More experienced hill walkers might want to challenge themselves on the High Cairngorms Ridge holiday, a more strenuous week tackling some of the Park’s more challenging ridges and peaks. For those looking for some less rigorous walking, then the Hidden Cairngorm week, taking in the magnificent hills might be for you. If you cannot spare a full week away, then there is the possibility of cramming some fantastic walking into a long weekend, perhaps on a gentle weekend learning about the endemic flora, or, if you feel like a challenge, tackling the spectacular Lairig Ghru mountain pass.

This is a fantastic selection of walking holidays in the Cairngorms National Park catering for those looking for a more challenging week and for those wanting some more moderate walking. The more strenuous walks have been classified as level 3 which means that the days will be long – between 6 – 7 hours on average per day and may include steep ascents and rough terrain. You don’t need to have previous hill walking experience, but it is advised that you are in good shape and that you do some regular exercise before you come away. For the trips graded as level 2, you will still need a decent level of walking fitness as you will also be walking around 6- 7 hours per day, but the pace will be gentler than the level three walks.

This is a group trip, but there will probably be a maximum of 8 people, so you don’t need to worry about feeling over-crowded. It is worth being at a good level of fitness so that you don’t feel self-conscious.

Equipment wise, make sure that you have comfortable boots and some good quality wet-weather gear. A full list of required kit will be sent to you upon booking.