After a challenging few weeks, businesses and organisations in Glenmore are welcoming visitors back. The recent wildfire meant that businesses in and around Glenmore had to close or were directly affected by access restrictions for over three weeks, right in the middle of the busy summer season.
Now the Glenmore area has reopened and there are plenty of reasons to return.
Come for a day beside Loch Morlich, head up Cairngorm Mountain, meet the reindeer, try a new outdoor activity, stop for something to eat or stay for a few days. Every visit also helps support the businesses and organisations that have faced a particularly difficult summer.
Make a day of it in Glenmore
There’s a lot to fit into a day here, so you may find yourself coming back for another.
Head up Cairngorm Mountain
Start high. Cairngorm Mountain offers a completely different perspective on the landscape, with the funicular taking visitors up the mountain and plenty of reasons to spend some time at the resort.
Take in the views, stop for something to eat and enjoy being high in the Cairngorms.
Meet the Cairngorm Reindeer
One of the area’s best-known attractions, the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre is home to Britain’s only free-ranging herd of reindeer.
The newly renovated centre has been part of Glenmore for decades and offers visitors the chance to learn more about the herd and meet some of its residents.
Get out on Loch Morlich
With a pristine sandy beach, backed by forest and with the Cairngorm mountains beyond, Loch Morlich is one of the most recognisable places in the National Park.
Loch Morlich Watersports offers plenty of opportunities to get out on the loch, including kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing and sailing, as well as a cafe for those who would rather enjoy the view from the shore.
Loch Morlich Sailing Club is a small, friendly, members-only club encouraging people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the water. Membership is also open to canoeists, windsurfers, paddleboarders and open-water swimmers.
Try your hand at clay shooting
Clay Shooting at Rothiemurchus offers sessions for beginners as well as more experienced shots, with instructors on hand to help you learn how to break clay targets or improve your skills.
Stop for something to eat
Exploring Glenmore gives you plenty of reasons to stop for something to eat or drink along the way, and spending with local businesses is one of the simplest ways to support the area following the recent disruption.
Pine Marten Bar + Scran
serves breakfast, lunch and dinner alongside coffee, cakes and drinks, making it an easy stop at just about any point in your Glenmore day. You’ll also find local beers, Scottish whiskies and gins, and regular live music.
Glenmore Visitor Centre & Allt Mor Café
The Visitor Centre is a great place to find out more about Glenmore and the surrounding area, while the recently refurbished Allt Mor Cafe serves coffee, cakes, breakfast rolls and lunches seven days a week.
The Penny Bun
For something a little different, keep an eye on The Penny Bun’s programme of special dining events and pop-ups. Based at Badaguish, its Gather & Feast supper clubs celebrate seasonal Scottish produce, alongside food truck pop-ups and other events throughout the year.
Stay and enjoy a little longer
There’s no need to fit everything into a single day. Staying in Glenmore gives you more time to enjoy the loch, mountains and activities, while supporting businesses and organisations that lost an important part of the summer season.
Glenmore Campsite sits among the pine trees with direct access to the sandy beaches of Loch Morlich. With the mountains, forest and loch on the doorstep, it’s a great base for spending a few days exploring this part of the Cairngorms.
Cairngorm Lodge Youth Hostel is another option right in Glenmore, offering Hostelling Scotland accommodation close to Loch Morlich and Cairngorm Mountain.
Badaguish Outdoor Centre offers forest lodges, camping pods and group camping, with accessible accommodation and facilities for individuals, families and groups with a wide range of needs. Run by The Speyside Trust, its focus is on making the outdoors accessible to everyone.
Rothiemurchus Lodge offers affordable self-catering group accommodation with a long connection to the Armed Forces. Today it welcomes serving military personnel, veterans and their families, as well as schools, youth organisations, charities, universities and outdoor groups.
Connecting people with the outdoors
Badaguish is also home to Alzheimer Scotland’s Outdoor Brain Health and Dementia Resource Centre, the first centre of its kind in the UK.
The centre helps people living with dementia, along with their families and carers, experience the benefits of spending time outdoors. Its programme includes nature-focused activities such as gardening and cycling, alongside arts, music and activities that bring the outdoors in.
Learn something new at Glenmore Lodge
Glenmore Lodge, Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre, sits right at the heart of the area.
Its programme covers everything from paddlesports and mountain biking to climbing, mountaineering, navigation and walking, with courses for different levels of experience.
Outdoor adventures for all abilities
Also based at Glenmore Lodge, Able2Adventure helps people of all abilities enjoy the Cairngorms. Its off-road wheelchair and adaptive cycle hub sits alongside a range of accessible outdoor activities, including climbing, paddlesports, guided walks, adaptive cycling and wheelchair hire.
Make time for nature
The effects of the wildfire have also been felt beyond Glenmore. On the other side of the Ryvoan Pass lies RSPB Abernethy, home to Loch Garten and an extraordinary Caledonian pine forest supporting more than 5,000 species.
The fire has had a significant impact on the reserve, and the Loch Garten Nature Centre and many areas remain closed while work continues.
There is hope here too. Nature is resilient, and in time the forest and habitats will begin to recover. For now, giving wildlife and the landscape the space they need is one of the best ways we can support that recovery.
Please check the latest information directly with RSPB before visiting and respect all closures and guidance in place.
Check the latest information from RSPB Loch Garten Nature Reserve
Come back to Glenmore
Glenmore has been through an exceptionally difficult summer, but the welcome is genuine and heartfelt.
There are businesses to support, places to stay, food to enjoy and plenty of experiences to fill a day, a weekend or a longer break.
Summer isn’t quite finished yet. Then come the colours of autumn, crisp days beside Loch Morlich and, before too long, another Cairngorms winter. If Glenmore is somewhere you already love, this is a good time to come back. If you haven’t visited before, there’s plenty here to make it part of your next Cairngorms trip.
Come to Glenmore. Stay a little longer. Support local businesses. And enjoy this very special part of the Cairngorms National Park.
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