Loch Morlich - An Lochan Uaine, Glenmore Forest Park

Start : Allt Ban car park, Glenmore. Grid Ref. NH980094

(S/E) From the car park, walk to Caimgorm Road. Cross the road ahead of you with great care. Do not cross the bridge on your right-hand side. There is a wooden signpost at the start of the footpath signed "To the beach".

Take this single track going through the pine trees along the riverside. Follow the riverside with the river on your left-hand side,keeping straight, ignoring all the paths going sideways.

(1) When you encounter a wooden bridge across the stream on your left-hand side, do not cross it, carry straight to the riverside with the water on your left. the path will eventually come to another junction with a wooden bench on your right-hand side.

Turn right here towards the bench with the river on your back. you now can see the lock on your left behind the trees. If you wish, you can take one of the tiny paths to access the beach and views of the lock. Otherwise, keep straight along the main path with the loc on your left hand. At some stage, you are going through a campsite (Glenmore Camp Site). Keep ahead. Cross over the stream using the wooden bridge.

(2) When you reach the toilets, keep the path on your left and go ahead with the car park on your right-hand side and the beach on your left. The ground will become sandy. You will see the Boathouse Café on your left-hand side and the car park on your right. Go straight towards the car park entrance and the busy road. You now have your back to the Lock.

(3) When you reach the safe pavement, turn right along Cairngorm Road. Keep straight past Glenmore mountain shop and rental on your right hand and the Cairngorm Lodge Youth Hostel left.

Past the bus stop, cross the road at the designated area and turn left towards Glenmore visitor centre. Go through the little car park up to the visitor centre. Carry straight on, past the visitor centre entrance on your left-hand side and the memorial straight to the paved road.

(4) You are now in front of the Reindeer Centre. Turn left up the hill using the minor road. At the cul-de-sac you get to a Y junction of paths. Turn right along the houses on your right-hand. Going up the hill on this wide track you will start to get incredible views of the mountains and the Lock behind you. Keep straight up along the main path. After a curve right the path starts to flatten until you reach a wooden bench and cubic construction made of stones ahead of you.

(5) Take the single track straight ahead right to this construction. You are going to follow this single track for quite a while, look to your steps as there are many roots, tones, boardwalks and stairs going up and down then down to the valley bottom.

(6) After a wooden bridge/boardwalk over the stream, you reach a path junction with two wooden posts with blue lines at their top. Straight ahead is a lake (An Lochan Uaine) (A).

Here you have two choices :
- Or you take a detour left,
- Or you go back to the car by turning right and carry on reading from waypoint (10)

If you choose to take the detour, turn left with the lake on your right-hand side. Keep straight, ignoring side tracks, on the main gravelled and wide path. You will get to open areas with incredible views along the valley bottom. (Ryvoan pass).

(7) After a while, you reach a path junction with a green signpost. Turn left here towards Nelhybridge. Follow this path as you enter Abernethy National Nature Reserve (C) (You will pass the signpost mentioning it). Walk up to the well-maintained little MBA hut made of stones (B) which appears in front of you.

(8) From the hut, walk back to the lake (An Lochan Uaine). Past the lake on your left-hand side and carry straight on at the junction waypoint (6) where you came from before. This part is quite easy along the valley bottom.

Keep the wide path ignoring side tracks for quite a while. You will cross a stream before you encounter a junction with a wooden signpost. Keep straight towards the Visitor centre (we came from Green Lochan). Cross another stream over a concrete bridge.

(10) At the next junction with a wooden signpost, turn left towards Allt ban car park. You now leave the main path to go on a single track again. At some stage, you will hear and see a stream on your left-hand side.

When you see a wooden signpost with a pink line on the top, walk towards it. Do not go right to the Rifle Range and buildings. When you see another path going right to the Rifle Range on your right, ignore it, keep straight down the hill.

(11) At the bottom of the hill you encounter a rive in front of you at a path junction. Go right here along the riverside and the river left. Follow the riverside straight back to the car park. (S/E)

Parking : Allt Ban car park. One of the Forestry and Land Scotland pay and display car park or along the roadside. Parking fees apply. Grid Ref. NH980094

Transport: Buses between Aviemore and the Cairngorm ski centre pass Allt Mor.

Facilities: Benches along the way. There are public toilets and a café at Glenmore Forest Park Visitor Centre and Glenmore Camp Site.

Terrain : Gravel path, single track with rocks, roots, and slippery wooden boardwalks.

Accommodation :

• (B) Hut : This shelter is maintained by the Moutain Bothies Association (MBA). Please keep the pace tidy.
• Glenmore Camp Site

(A) An Lochan Uaine : If you can't go down the stairs made of stones, there is a bench and a platform view on the lake on your right-hand side.

(C) Abernethy National Nature Reserve Reserve manager: Ian Sargent. Telephone: 01463 725219. Email: nnr@nature.scot

• Reindeer Centre.