Cairngorms nationalpark 1 day tour

As there are so many places to see, visit, great walks and the option just to head to the Aviemore area and focus there and have more time or do a full & much longer circuit of the Cairngorms nationalpark, a lot of what we do, where we stop and for how long will also depend on the season & daylight hours, the weather, the snow conditions if during the winter season and very much on the preferences of the groups, as some are more into walking, others more into sightseeing, others more into touring, others have a special mission “reindeer feeding” or “up the Cairngorms mountain railway”, while others wish to do the full circuit, including Royal Deeside (Braemar with the Highlands Games park, Victorian Ballater or even visit Balmoral castle).

From Stirling we head through Highland Perthshire

• Dunkeld & Birnam
• Victorian Pitlochry
• Loch Faskally, the fish ladder, the dam visitor centre, the festival centre & Port na Craig
• Garry bridge & optional river walk
• Killiecrankie & the soldier’s leap
• Blair Atholl

up north into the Cairngorms nationalpark

• past the Dalwhinnie distillery
• through Newtonmore with its Scottish wildcat centre
• & an optional stop at the Highland Folk museum
• & optional walk to the “Outlander filming location” through the Pinewoods and to Baile Gean Township
• through Kingussie and past Kincraig

on to Aviemore which makes a great stop for free time, strolling around, having lunch or to go for a walk

• the golden sands of Loch Morlich
• Loch Morlich / Cairngorms nationalpark- Coast, sea Highlands & Islands – Unicorn Tours throughout Scotland
• for great nature walks surrounded by the Caledonian pinewoods and stunning mountain views – with its peaks usually snowcovered between December and April

depending on the weather on the day and the group’s preferences and the time left

• there are many great walks

drive up to the Cairngorm mountain ski & snowboarding wintersport resort

with its walk, the Cairngorms mountain gardens, the shop and Cairngorms cafe

optional excursion up the Cairngorm mountain funicular railway (also depending on the weather, on a calm, crisp, blue skies, sunny clear day with great visibility, this is much recommended)

Cairngorm Mountain Railway

Cairngorm mountain funicular railway

Views from the 1097 m high Ptarmigan restaurant on top of the funicular railway/ Cairngorms nationalpark

• Cairngorm mountain

(update January 2024 – the funicular railway is currently not in operation due to repairs being carried out)

• it costs £30 return per person (£25 per student)
• the journey takes 8 minutes each way

At the top you have:

The Top Station at Cairngorm Mountain is a great day out for all ages and includes:

• The Ptarmigan Restaurant (the UK’s highest restaurant at over 1,065 metres above sea level)
• The Cairngorm Gin bar serving a range of local drinks, hot drinks and soft drinks
• An extensive viewing terrace where you can take in the panoramic views down to Loch Morlich and beyond*
• 270 degree immersive exhibition with breath-taking views of the area around us
• Cairngorm Learning Zone featuring interactive sandboxes great for all ages to be creative
• The Shop at the Top, selling a wide range of quality gifts, toys, clothing and other treats.
• Guided Walks departure point (from spring to autumn)

Can I walk at the top:

During the snowsports season, railway passengers are allowed to go outside but must stay within the ski boundary area. If you are a walker/climber and wish to go outside of the ski boundary area, you cannot travel up on the railway, however you can purchase a down ticket from the Top Station.

In order to protect the plateau, when we are not open for snow-sports funicular passengers are not permitted to exit the top station building to go onto the mountain unless they are booked onto a guided walk. Access to our Ptarmigan Restaurant, exhibition, learning zone, shop and viewing terrace are available all year round (weather permitting for the terrace).

Optional, needs to be prebooked, ideally for the entire group as a whole, involving a short drive up the mountain and then a walk with the reindeer ranger up to the reindeer feeding area

The Cairngorms reindeer herd

Hill trips with the reindeer ranger

Hill trip reindeer feeding trips with the ranger

or just a visit at the reindeer centre

The paddock (seasonal opening hours)

Reindeer paddock

or have a herder talk in the paddock

Herder talk in the paddock

Tour itinerary, info & links

• This tour will be similar to our private & small group 1 day tour # 10  Cairngorms nationalpark
• As this is a winter short daylight hours tours – the tour will last for 8 hours+
• Stops along the way through Highland Perthshire and the Cairngorms nationalpark

• The itinerary will be kept flexible to suit your interests, activities, your preferences & the weather on the day

Past Cairngorms nationalpark walk on a wintry day – Unicorn Tours

• None, unless you choose to visit places with an entrance fee

Depending on the weather & the preferences of the group

• there is also the option of full circuit round tour of the Cairngorms nationalpark – this would involve a lot of driving and even though you see a lot, there will be less time to actually see, explore and experience places outside the mini-bus

1. Cairngorms nationalpark East/Royal Deeside – this will enable you to have time to choose to either explore Braemar, Ballater
2. via the long northern loop road via the Lecht & Tomintoul (during the winter this route is often closed due to snow)
3. Cairngorms nationalpark Westside –  you will have time to choose to either discover and explore Aviemore, Loch Morlich beach and fantastic, loch, mountain, glen & forest nature walks through pristine Caledonian pineforest, Cairngorm mountain funicular railway, Loch Insh, border collie sheep dog farm, Carrbridge,, Kincraig , Newtonmore and in addition awesome different routes going and coming back, etc.

Carrbridge walks

• Pick up Stirling/Uni/area and from places along the way, including Perth (Dundee & St. Andrews pick ups/drop offs can be arranged)
• Drop off same as above

If you are interested in joining this tour, please email contact@unicorntours.co.uk

– we will then send you an online invoice, which will allow you to pay either:

• by PayPal
• by UK BACS bank transfer
• by International bank transfer

To enquire about or book this tour, please email contact@unicorntours.co.uk

• To book, we will send you an invoice with an e-pay/online PayPal link, which allows you to pay either by Paypal, card or also by (UK or international) bank transfer
• Once paid, we send you a tour confirmation

2-3 days before the tour departure, we will send you the tour joining instructions, incl. some tips, incl. the latest weather forecast for the day and the order of pick ups, for example:

1. Tour guest A + B pick up from their Falkirk accommodation @ 7.40 am
2. Tour guest C pick up from Stirling/Tesco carpark @ 8 am
3. Tour guest D pick up from Stirling University Alexander Court @ 08.10 am
4. Tour guest E pick up from Stirling University Beech Court @ 08.15 am
5. Tour guest F pick up from Bridge of Allan/Co-op carpark @ 08.20 am
6. Tour guest G + H join us along our tour route and we pick them up at the Callander bus stop @ 8.40 am

(this is just an example, every day, every tour &  route is different & our tour guests can be picked up from many more places, depending on their preferences, also the pick up times will vary depending on what tour you are going on)