National park in Scotland
Photo: FrDr, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Cairngorms are a range of mountains between the Highlands region and Aberdeenshire, plus smaller areas of Angus, Perth and Kinross, and Moray. The national park, established in 2003, is by far the largest in Britain – it's named for the Cairn Gorm or "Blue Mountain" near Aviemore, but also includes the Monadhliath and Grampian ranges to the east, the Angus Glens, and the upper valleys of the Spey, Dee and Tay.
By train
The railway line on the west (Tay and Spey) side of the park has trains from Edinburgh and Glasgow via Perth to Inverness every hour or two, plus the Highland Sleeper overnight from London Euston to…
By bus
Hourly buses from Edinburgh and Glasgow stop at Perth and Aviemore on their way to Inverness, but mostly rush past the other villages.
By car
The A9 from Perth to Inverness enters the park in the south and follows along the western side of it to the north east of the park.
Some trails are reachable on foot, and bus 30 runs hourly from Aviemore via Coylumbridge and Glenmore to Cairngorm ski area. But beyond that, buses are sparse and you need your own wheels.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Inverness, Highland · Regional · INV
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Cairngorms National Park and United Kingdom.
Complete 2026 guide to the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Check eligibility, the £20 fee, application steps, and transit rules.
7 min read
Complete 2026 guide to global tourist taxes and access fees. Compare entry fees in Venice, Bali, Bhutan, Kyoto, and Edinburgh, and learn how to pay them.
8 min read
Find the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
A complete guide to taking the Eurostar from London to Paris. Learn about check-in times, border controls, baggage limits, ticket tiers, and booking tips.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.