From woods to water
Discover two frosty lochs under the sparkling snows of Scotland’s Highland mountains with a winter weekend in the Cairngorms National Park; Fergal MacErlean leads the way
Loch Morlich and Loch an Eilein, Highland
Excitement abounds when looking out from the Highland town of Aviemore to the mighty Cairngorms mountains, beloved by snowboarders, skiers and winter climbers. It’s the visceral reaction to the size and rawness of these granite giants that makes this landscape such a compelling place for all nature lovers.
Nowhere else in Britain has the same scale of tundra-like plateaux and sub-Arctic habitats. Snow covers the numerous 1,000m summits for more than 100 days a year, and icy tentacles stretch across the lochs that bejewel the foot of the range. It’s here, cloaked in Scots pine trees, that one of the finest remnants of the ancient Caledonian Forest resides, home to golden eagles, red squirrels, pine martens, badgers and deer.
Bustling Aviemore, with its choice of hip or traditional bars, a good Italian restaurant and swish, hotel-run wooden cabins, is the ideal base for a wintry foray around the northern fringes of the park and two of its most beautiful lochs.
DAY ONE: LOCH MORLICH
On your first day in the shadow of mountains, make your way up the ‘ski road’ from your Aviemore lodgings past Coylumbridge to see glistening Loch Morlich. In winter conditions this can freeze over, making the relatively flat 5.1km walk around its waters even more like a magical fairytale scene.
1 WOODLAND SNOW
Follow red markers south from Beach Car Park through the woods, soon meeting a burn; walk beside this for 100m before crossing a bridge. Crisp snow underfoot transforms the forest to a winter wonderland.
2 ICE-AGE REMAINS
At a junction, follow the red markers to the right. A glacier once sat here; enormous blocks calved off to form the depression that remains today.
3 CORRIES TO CAFÉ
Join the Old Logging Trail back to the start. This is arguably the best part of the walk, with views up to the snow-plastered Northern Corries. Round off the trip with a warming hot chocolate in the Red Squirrel Café.
DAY TWO: LOCH AN EILEIN
After a night in Aviemore, wrap up warm and visit a frozen paradise in the pristine
Rothiemurchus Estate, with its 10,000 hectares of ancient forest. Encircled by mature Scots pine, Loch an Eilein is, for many, the finest short walk in the country. The level three-mile circuit is ideal for youngsters and takes around an hour and a half to complete. Birdlife en route includes wrens, jays and treecreepers.
1 EAST OF EILEIN
Your mini snowy adventure begins in the northern car park (fee for conservation work). Follow the Loch an Eilein sign through a gap in a wall, passing an idyllic whitewashed cottage. A little further on, go through a gate. Ignore side paths.
2 SOUTHERN SHORES
Pass a sign for Lairig Ghru and Glen Einich. These paths lead deep into the Cairngorms and are used by wilderness aficionados. Continue to hug the loch where possible, making your way along its southern shoreline.
3 WENDING WEST
Another path leads to nearby Loch Gamhna, but for this circuit, simply carry straight on. A ruined 13th-century castle on a tiny island makes for an enchanting sight, with Creag Dhubh rising behind – a great photo opportunity, especially after snowfall.