Cairngorms Wild Camp
High granite, ancient forest, and long summer light.
A dispersed wild-camping cluster within Rothiemurchus, run under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Bring everything in, take everything out — the estate loves you for it.
- Dispersed wild pitches
- Bear-hang tree lines
- Bike-friendly forest tracks
- Ranger patrols
Peace of mind in the Highlands.
The Highlands are beautiful but remote. A few minutes of preparation means you can enjoy them with complete peace of mind.
Mountain Rescue, Ambulance, Police, Fire, Coastguard. Ask for the service you need — the operator will connect you.
Free advice for anything urgent but not life-threatening — a bad sprain, feeling unwell in the tent, a cut that won’t settle.
Cover the northern Cairngorms plateau. Request "Cairngorm MRT" when connected.
Route planning tip: save the postcode to your maps app before you leave signal.
Signal at the Glenmore visitor centre and along the Old Logging Way. Drops out fully once you climb above the treeline — plan accordingly.
How to give your location to emergency services.
When you ring 999, the calmer and clearer your location, the faster help arrives. Any one of these three works — give the operator whichever you have to hand.
OS Grid Reference
A six-figure grid reference pinpoints you to 100 metres. Read it from an Ordnance Survey map, or open a free app like OS Maps or ViewRanger — both show your live grid ref at the top of the screen.
What3Words
Every 3-metre square on earth has three unique words. Open the What3Words app or the website, tap the location arrow, and read the three words aloud to the operator.
Describe your surroundings
If tech fails, plain words win. Nearest landmark, water feature, path junction, direction of the last waymark. Anything that helps a rescue team narrow it down.
Save your campsite’s grid reference and What3Words before you lose signal. A screenshot in your camera roll is quicker than any app when the phone’s wet and the wind’s up.
See our Coming Home guide for tips on wrapping up your ride safely.
Nearest accessible parking — park close, ride easy.
A wee brief on the closest accessible parking to this pitch — how far, what surface, and whether there’s a height barrier to worry about. Handy to check on the phone before you set off.
Tarmac throughout · level approach from bay to path
4 designated accessible bays · standard width (approx. 3.3 m) plus one extra-wide near the visitor centre
No height barrier · pay-and-display (Blue Badge holders exempt)
Fully step-free route from the accessible bays into the visitor centre café, toilets and the start of the Old Logging Way. Ranger station open daily for current path conditions.
Always check current conditions before travelling — tracks and car parks can change seasonally. A quick ring to the local ranger service (listed on the Coming Home guide) is the surest way to know what you’ll arrive to.