The Cairngorms National Park is one of the largest national parks in Great Britain – reason enough to pay it a visit, we think…
Intro and travel report
Highlands – everyone has heard of them. But the Cairngorms? Where is that?
The Cairngorms National Park is a mountainous region that connects to the Highlands in the west, opens up to the North Sea in the east and in the south you soon come to the beautiful city of Stirling, the gateway to the Highlands. I have also written an article about Stirling, which I will link below.
In fact, the national park is the heart of north-east Scotland. The high, barren mountains are home to ski areas – yes, they really do exist in Scotland! High passes with snow sticks at the side of the road also show that snow is an issue here in winter.
But not now in June. Above all, the unspoilt landscape is perfect for hikers and mountain walkers. On the outskirts, the landscapes are milder, greener and more hilly than mountainous.
The River Dee, which gave the Royal Deeside its name, flows through the centre of the Cairngoirms NP. Incidentally, ‘Royal’ comes from the summer residence of the English royal family, Balmoral Castle.
The landscapes of the River Dee are varied, green and lovely. The wide, stony river is home to trout and fly fishing is just as much a tradition here as hunting grouse or deer, which live in large numbers in the mountains.
The villages and small towns of Deeside have a correspondingly rustic charm. Large houses made of big grey stone blocks, sometimes decorated with a few pillars or a bit of stucco on the facades. Large windows, some with colourful frames.
Small retail outlets dominate the scene: the country shop, the butcher and the small art gallery are located on the main street. There are quite a few really beautiful and historic buildings, mostly in the vicinity of a larger church with a pretty little park around it.
Everything in the region looks clean, tidy and well maintained. Certainly not just because of the royal family, or the tourists who come here to visit Balmoral and Braemar Castles. The people here generally seem to be efficient in an unagitated way.
Probably not just because of the big Highland Games that take place in Braemar every year, I suspect. Everything also looks good in the lesser-known smaller towns and also in Ballater, a very nice little town where we spent a night.
Ballater has a very nice, large campsite right on the River Dee, where we were able to park our motorhome. From there, it is only a few minutes’ walk to the town, which we explored extensively on foot.
There is no doubt that the region has had money in the past – as the splendid old houses testify – and it still seems to be doing well today. Deeside boasts beautiful riverside landscapes and marvellous towns and villages.
Ballater (isn’t there a whiskey with that name?) was less busy, but Balmoral and especially Braemar were quite busy. We found a very nice reservoir near Braemar, where we had a lovely walk with our dog.
Conclusion
The drive over the small roads and passes of the Cairngorms National Park is impressive. What wild and rugged nature it is. At over 1300 metres, Ben Macdui is one of the higher mountains in Scotland.
When you then descend into the valley of the River Dee, you really do enter another world: lovely greenery by the peacefully babbling river.
The small towns of Braemar, Balmoral and Ballater are absolutely beautiful and well worth a visit. The castles of Castle Balmoral and Castle Braemar are also popular excursion destinations.
We didn’t go to Balmoral, but we did take a look at the pretty, white Braemar Castle: Super pretty and surrounded by a beautiful park.
If you’re a hiker, the Cairngorms National Park is more than just an insider tip. But even otherwise, if you like beautiful landscapes and small towns, the Cairngorms and Deeside are the place to be!
More interesting articles for you
Coming soon…
Cover picture: Rural shop in Ballater (Photo: Ulrich Knüppel-Gertberg)
