50 next year, Cairngorms trip

Certainly lots of options in and around Aviemore and it's an easy train trip to Inverness if your partner wants to get further afield without driving.

Villages like Nethy Bridge, Boat of Garten and Carrbridge are quieter. Of course they subsequently have fewer of the other services like shops, pubs and restuarants.

Kingussie and Newtonmore strike a bit of a middle ground and will almost certainly be less expensive than Aviemore.

FWIW I like the Braemar area but it's a bit of a backwater if you're not walking, cycling etc.

I can certainly help with route ideas and so on.

Scotroutes is your best fella for info for sure!

Superb place to be, always happiest when I am in and around the Cairngorms/Aviemore area.

FWIW, with Aviemore getting awfully hectic in peak seasons, we've found Grantown on Spey a great place to stay. Has everything you need in the town, nice trails immediately around it for some great quickish rides, and easy access to all the other stuff.

its likely that my partner will be coming and she needs shops, cafes and civilisation around here.

I think that rules out Nethy Bridge. It’s a place I really like, I just wander out of the accommodation door with the dog into a silent forest.

It’s handy I like that as there isn’t really anything else there.

Boat of Garten would be a good shout, closer to Aviemore, but still easy to wander off into the woods on foot or by bike, especially over towards Loch Garten.

Aviemore is the best base imo . I believe that scotroutes chap is very helpful. Perhaps a tent on his lawn

Aviemore to inverness takes about 40 mins on the express bus.
Search for ‘citylink timetables’ to get the, er, timetables.

I was recently in Ballater and the riding there is class. So don't dismiss the eastern side. 👍

I have just ordered some OS maps to have a browse through and I will be looking at all these places and suggestions. 🙂

Scotroutes, I will delve into your routes & suggestions a bit further in the future, cheers!

It looks like I have been voted out, we are staying in Aviemore for the first week, then moving south to the Tay Forest area for the second week.

I have a guide book and various maps ready to to looked at but any suggestions for (mostly) walking and mtb rides would be appreciated.

So far I have the Burma Road Loop mtb, and Ben Macdui for walking...

Not sure if your Burma road loop takes it in but worth swinging past Sluggan Bridge at the north end of the ride. The climb to start with is a monster but once thats done its pretty easy.

I can add some additional "fun" elements to that Burma Road loop. Be aware that Brewdog now own the land that the Burma Road crosses and there's been a lot of work putting up fences and getting planting and peatland restoration under way. That can be a bit messy. The main track has also been "sanitised" (I think that's what MTBers normally call it when it's been upgraded to be less rough 🙂  )

Loch Eaniach return is a classic, either on foot or by bike.

An off-road loop heading South down the Speyside Way to Kincraig (excellent cafe) and return by the bothy path pasy Loch Gamhna is another good one and, again, I can add a couple of pleasant diversions.

Meall a Bhuachaill traverse and descent to Ryvoan/An Lochan Uaine.

Glen Feshie taking in the falls at Badan Mosach and the Pony Bridge is a good low level option and there's Sgor Gaoith which can be a walk or a more lengthy cycle if you've the legs.

On a good day with high cloud a cycle up to Loch Einich then park the bikes and walk up to Coire Dhondail where it gets slightly steep at the top then your on the plateau of Braeriach
3rd highest mountain in UK
Maybe check out the start of the river Dee then retrace back to the bikes whilst admiring the stunning views al around you all
If the wind is blowing and from the right direction you will be flying back for coffee and square sausage much quicker than heading in
Keep this for May onwards or maybe June

Cheers guys for those bits of info, I will look them up on the os map.

we are staying in Aviemore for the first week, then moving south to the Tay Forest area for the second week.

Excellent choice, I much prefer the Tay Forest area to the Cairngorms.

just an educated guess but I suspect that this may be another example of the classic problem that comes up time and again in minimal snow cover winters; a person walking to a summit is attempting to cross a snow patch, which ends with a fall, a slide and a significant crunching sound at the point of stoppage. It's already happened several times this winter, adding another dimension that not everyone appreciates to the normal risks of being in the Scottish mountains.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64797248

I was led to believe that  the chap involved was a climber rather than a walker.

Solo, away up near Loch Etchachan and at this time of year? Again, educated guess suggests more likely a walker losing footing on an icy snow patch. BBC reporter is no doubt being simplistic for the audience?

A sad story but the relevance is?

A sad story but the relevance is?

+1

Yes it is a very sad story, but I am guessing it was meant to be added to another post...

I am an experienced walker and biker.

@highlandman I was thinking that Cairngorm MRT would be using the correct terminology

https://twitter.com/cairngorm_mrt/status/1630317733073092608?t=Vl1xSzlsFbwxbwx0z66pqw&s=19

Aye, sorry to the OP for this thread going OT.

Very sad, I was just reading another report of a man and his dog found in Glen Coe 🙁

I have to say tho' if I had two weeks to go anywhere the Cairngorms wouldn't top my list, unless I was limited to the UK

I have to say tho’ if I had two weeks to go anywhere the Cairngorms wouldn’t top my list, unless I was limited to the UK

It would be if you love Scotland....some of the most memorable trips I've had over the years, both as a child and an adult have been in Scotland 🙂

I have never been anywhere more beautiful than the Cairngorms.