Rambling On Blog
22/12/2025
FEBRUARY 2025 - A SECOND WINTER VISIT TO THE CAIRNGORMS
An extra workshop for Gary which meant another few days of enjoying one of my favourite areas
2025 brought a second winter workshop for Gary in the Cairngorms, with us again based at the Grant Arms Hotel, giving me a few days carved out for walking with Nala. When I join Gary on these trips, I don’t always have a fixed plan. With just one car between us, I have to go with the flow a bit, and actually I quite like that sometimes. An open mind, a willingness to adapt, and seeing where each day leads.
Over the few days we were there, I revisited some familiar favourites and explored new paths. Anyone who knows me knows I love the big mountains, but I’m just as happy wandering smaller hills and paths. I simply love to explore! The Cairngorms area is perfect for that, with an abundance of wonderful “smaller” hills that still deliver big rewards.
Here are a few of my favourites, all classified as Marilyns, meaning they have a prominence of at least 150 metres, regardless of their overall height. Marilyns tend to stand proud of their surroundings, giving excellent views and these all deliver!
Ord Bàn is a lovely little hill rising above the beautiful Loch an Eilein. The loch itself is well known and popular with both locals and visitors, but not everyone realises there’s a fantastic viewpoint just above it. From the car park there are no obvious signs, but a short, steep climb soon leads you to the summit trig point and fabulous views across the Cairngorms.
The trig here is a Vanessa style pillar, the cylindrical concrete pillars often found in the Scottish Highlands. They’re known as “Vanessas” after Venesta, the company that produced the cardboard tubes used as moulds to cast them. They were introduced in the late 1950s and were lighter and required fewer materials than the traditional square-based Hotine pillars, making them ideal for remote locations. A slightly nerdy bit of hill trivia, I know, but I always find it fascinating.
From the summit you can return the same way or take a sketchier circular descent that brings you down to the lochside path. I almost always see deer here, and there’s an intriguing little cave tucked away along the route.
Another gem is Craigellachie, perched above Aviemore. This is another short but steep climb, crowned not by a trig but by a lovely summit cairn. The views are simply divine, stretching across to the main Cairngorm mountains and over to the Monadhliath. In summer, when Gary is out early photographing ospreys, I’ll often head up here for sunrise, it’s one of those places that never disappoints. As with Ord Bàn, you can either return the same way or make it into a satisfying circular walk.
Creag Bheinn (above Kingussie) is another favourite smaller hill, though it has a wonderfully mountainous feel. From the summit, the views stretch across to the Cairngorm plateau, down to Loch Gynack below, and across to the Monadhliath Munros. It’s a beautiful walk with lots of little subsidiary tops to explore, which always encourages a bit of wandering. Whether you make it circular or retrace your steps, it’s a route I’d highly recommend.
One new hill for me on this trip was Beinn Mhòr, which can be walked directly from the hotel taking you through woodland and open moorland until you eventually reach the hill itself. There’s a trig point on the summit too, which is always a treat, and the views are excellent. I’d had my eye on this hill for some time and was delighted to finally get it done. I’d tried on a previous visit but retreated to the warmth of the hotel when a hailstorm struck! This time, I was rewarded with glorious sunshine, and I’m glad I waited for the right day.
The Grant Arms Hotel, where we stay, is in the lovely town of Grantown-on-Spey, and even when I’m not heading uphill, there’s so much to enjoy right from the hotel. There are wonderful forest and low-level walks that I often do before breakfast or in the evening. When I used to run, I’d regularly follow these routes through the woods and alongside the River Spey.
The Spey itself is a popular spot for swimming and is generally shallow, and in hot weather I’ve often seen groups of teenagers floating happily downstream, drifting with the current which looks like great fun. I have my own favourite spot on a bend in the river where a little beach forms. It’s a perfect place to sit reading my book, swim, or simply sit and watch the water flow by.
And that, really, is what these trips are about for me. A mix of familiar paths and new discoveries, big views and small moments. No rigid plans, just time outdoors, moving through landscapes I love, with Nala by my side.
Over the few days we were there, I revisited some familiar favourites and explored new paths. Anyone who knows me knows I love the big mountains, but I’m just as happy wandering smaller hills and paths. I simply love to explore! The Cairngorms area is perfect for that, with an abundance of wonderful “smaller” hills that still deliver big rewards.
Here are a few of my favourites, all classified as Marilyns, meaning they have a prominence of at least 150 metres, regardless of their overall height. Marilyns tend to stand proud of their surroundings, giving excellent views and these all deliver!
Ord Bàn is a lovely little hill rising above the beautiful Loch an Eilein. The loch itself is well known and popular with both locals and visitors, but not everyone realises there’s a fantastic viewpoint just above it. From the car park there are no obvious signs, but a short, steep climb soon leads you to the summit trig point and fabulous views across the Cairngorms.
The trig here is a Vanessa style pillar, the cylindrical concrete pillars often found in the Scottish Highlands. They’re known as “Vanessas” after Venesta, the company that produced the cardboard tubes used as moulds to cast them. They were introduced in the late 1950s and were lighter and required fewer materials than the traditional square-based Hotine pillars, making them ideal for remote locations. A slightly nerdy bit of hill trivia, I know, but I always find it fascinating.
From the summit you can return the same way or take a sketchier circular descent that brings you down to the lochside path. I almost always see deer here, and there’s an intriguing little cave tucked away along the route.
Another gem is Craigellachie, perched above Aviemore. This is another short but steep climb, crowned not by a trig but by a lovely summit cairn. The views are simply divine, stretching across to the main Cairngorm mountains and over to the Monadhliath. In summer, when Gary is out early photographing ospreys, I’ll often head up here for sunrise, it’s one of those places that never disappoints. As with Ord Bàn, you can either return the same way or make it into a satisfying circular walk.
Creag Bheinn (above Kingussie) is another favourite smaller hill, though it has a wonderfully mountainous feel. From the summit, the views stretch across to the Cairngorm plateau, down to Loch Gynack below, and across to the Monadhliath Munros. It’s a beautiful walk with lots of little subsidiary tops to explore, which always encourages a bit of wandering. Whether you make it circular or retrace your steps, it’s a route I’d highly recommend.
One new hill for me on this trip was Beinn Mhòr, which can be walked directly from the hotel taking you through woodland and open moorland until you eventually reach the hill itself. There’s a trig point on the summit too, which is always a treat, and the views are excellent. I’d had my eye on this hill for some time and was delighted to finally get it done. I’d tried on a previous visit but retreated to the warmth of the hotel when a hailstorm struck! This time, I was rewarded with glorious sunshine, and I’m glad I waited for the right day.
The Grant Arms Hotel, where we stay, is in the lovely town of Grantown-on-Spey, and even when I’m not heading uphill, there’s so much to enjoy right from the hotel. There are wonderful forest and low-level walks that I often do before breakfast or in the evening. When I used to run, I’d regularly follow these routes through the woods and alongside the River Spey.
The Spey itself is a popular spot for swimming and is generally shallow, and in hot weather I’ve often seen groups of teenagers floating happily downstream, drifting with the current which looks like great fun. I have my own favourite spot on a bend in the river where a little beach forms. It’s a perfect place to sit reading my book, swim, or simply sit and watch the water flow by.
And that, really, is what these trips are about for me. A mix of familiar paths and new discoveries, big views and small moments. No rigid plans, just time outdoors, moving through landscapes I love, with Nala by my side.
