A mini guide to
The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey: getting there
Stops, stations and how to reach The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey
Stops and stations
Getting to The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey
Choose the stop closest to where you are going.
| Stop or station | Services | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Aviemore | Rail | Station on the Highland Main Line, managed by ScotRail, and the southern terminus of the Strathspey Railway |
| Caledonian Sleeper | Overnight from London Euston | The sleeper lists Aviemore among its Highland destinations |
| Strathspey Railway | Heritage railway | Preserved railway running from Aviemore to Broomhill |
| Cairngorm Mountain | Mountain railway | The Cairngorm Mountain site lists a mountain railway and closes facilities in severe weather |
Walking from nearby areas
- Inverness & Loch Ness: 39.4 km from The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey, better by public transport
- The Black Isle & Easter Ross: 50.2 km from The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey, better by public transport
- Fort William, Glencoe & Ben Nevis: 87.9 km from The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey, better by public transport
- Oban, Argyll & the Mull ferry: 132.4 km from The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey, better by public transport
Reaching the Scottish Highlands
Official travel information
Inverness is the main air and rail gateway to the Highlands, and Glasgow is the usual starting point for Fort William and Oban. Always check each operator for current times, fares and disruption, particularly for ferries in bad weather.
- VisitScotland → — the national tourism site
- VisitScotland: driving in Scotland → — single-track roads and passing places
- Traffic Scotland → — roadworks, incidents and route checker
- Inverness Airport (HIAL) → — flights and passenger information
- CalMac → — ferries to Mull, Skye and other islands
- Citylink → — long-distance coaches
- Caledonian Sleeper → — overnight trains from London to the Highlands
- ScotRail → — trains in Scotland
- National Rail Enquiries → — train times and fares
- The Highland Council → — local information
- Cairngorms National Park → — the national park authority
- Mountain Weather Information Service → — hill forecasts
- Scottish Avalanche Information Service → — winter hill hazards
Times, fares and disruption change: use the operator pages above for live information.
Plan your journey here
Enter your starting point and Google Maps will show routes to The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey. Public transport is selected; change it on the map. Check operator sites for live disruption.

While you are here
Things to see in The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey
A few of the sights in the area. The Things to do page lists them all, with directions and official links.
Strathspey Railway
Preserved railway running from Aviemore to Broomhill.
Carrbridge Packhorse Bridge
Old stone bridge over the River Dulnain at Carrbridge, described as the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands.
Cairngorm Reindeer Centre
Britain's only free-ranging reindeer herd, here since 1952, with visits to the paddock and hill trips.
The Scottish Highlands
More areas to explore
Oban, Argyll & the Mull ferry
Harbour town and ferry gateway to Mull, Kerrera and the Inner Hebrides
Open the mini guide →
The Black Isle & Easter Ross
A peninsula of Pictish stones, Cromarty and dolphin-watching, with whisky country to the north
Open the mini guide →
Inverness & Loch Ness
The Highland capital on the River Ness, with Culloden, Loch Ness and the Moray Firth coast within reach
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Cairngorm Mountain: Hugh Venables, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey (area photo): dave conner, CC BY 2.0, source
- Strathspey Railway: Peter Trimming, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Carrbridge Packhorse Bridge: Darrin Antrobus, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Cairngorm Reindeer Centre: Ralph Greig, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Oban, Argyll & the Mull ferry: Mike Hudson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- The Black Isle & Easter Ross: Vcarceler, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Inverness & Loch Ness: dave conner from Inverness, Scotland, CC BY 2.0, source
- Fort William, Glencoe & Ben Nevis: Viewfinder at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Isle of Skye: Portree & Dunvegan: Lauwz The Kiwistralian, CC0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring the Scottish Highlands