Craigellachie National Nature Reserve
8 minute walk from Aviemore station · Highlands and Argyll · Free entry
Craigellachie National Nature Reserve is a 257-hectare site situated on the eastern slopes of the Monadhliath range near Aviemore. Managed by NatureScot, this protected area spans from 225 to 535 meters above sea level and is dominated by one of the largest remaining birch woodlands on Speyside.
This site is significant for its rich heritage and biodiversity. It served as a historic vantage point and signal site for Clan Grant, whose motto and crest still honor the hill. Today, it is nationally important for its variety of moths and diverse flora, including over 385 types of flowering plants and rare species like the least waterlily.
Visitors can explore a landscape of rocky crags, lochans, and open heath. The reserve is home to red deer, peregrine falcons, and butterflies such as the Scotch argus. Nature lovers can enjoy silver birch woods that are over a century old while learning about the area’s unique wildlife through a "Mobitour" information system.
Visitor information
- Place type
- Nature reserve
- Good for
- Nature reserves, Scenic viewpoints, Trees & woodlands, Wildlife
- Characteristics
- Hilltop, Nationally significant, Rocky, Woodland
- Admission
- Free
- Region
- Highlands and Argyll
Stations within walking distance
- Aviemore station — 8 min walk, 0.6 km
Other places near Aviemore
- Strathspey Steam Railway — 1 min walk from the station
- Speyside Way 7: Aviemore to Kincraig — 1 min walk from the station
- Aviemore Orbital path — 8 min walk from the station
- Craigellachie, Aviemore — 8 min walk from the station
- Beaver Trail, Rothiemurchus — 19 min walk from the station
- Cairngorm Brewery — 24 min walk from the station