Walk 153 – Loch Morlich Trail, Glenmore Forest Park – 3.9 miles

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With the highest beach in Britain on it's shores, Loch Morlich provides a tranquil and easy 4 mile circular route. Be amazed at the colour of the sand, the beauty of the Cairngorm mountains and the height of the pine trees! 

Print  Dog-friendly walk

  Forestry Commission car park (chargeable) off C1126/Cairngorm Road or on roadside verge. Closest train station is in Aviemore, approx 6 miles away. From there it is possible to take a bus to Glenmore Visitor Centre then walk approx 0.3 miles along the roadside pavement to Loch Morlich.

Loch Morlich, Aviemore

WALK REPORT: 13th August 2017

When my husband suggested a night in Aviemore to celebrate our wedding anniversary I didn’t anticipate him also seeking out a walk for us to do the following day <3 Loch Morlich… I will admit I had never heard of it before but I do love to explore new places so it was a massive thumbs up from me!

It was easy to find and first impressions were very good with a gorgeous beach welcoming us. The sand was amazing – a true ‘sand’ colour, if you know what I mean?! I have since learned that Loch Morlich is the highest beach in Britain and has won a Rural Beach Award! We passed a group of more adventurous sorts heading out on canoes. Great to see the loch being used for water sports. Plenty of families were also out making use of the fantastic network of cycle paths around the area.

Further along, we watched as some of the canoeists attempted in vain to paddle up the (somewhat too shallow) burn. One has to ask why, with all that loch to explore!

The forestry road was at a surprising elevation of just over 1000 ft. Purple heather was a huge feature at the time of our visit, both along the path itself as well as on the Cairngorm mountains. A beautiful sight. We spent some time playing around with my Peakfinder and Viewranger apps to ID the hills. The Cairngorm ski area was clearly visible including the chairlift towers: a tad unsightly in my opinion but I realise it is necessary. On the plus side, what a brilliant walk this would be in the snowy season when the mountainside comes alive with skiers and snowboarders!

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Loch Morlich and its beach
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A peek through the trees towards the purple heather on the Cairngorm mountains
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Riverside trail
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Sandy forestry trail – the heather in full bloom
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Pine trees of Glenmore Forest
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The Cairngorm mountains and ski resort seen from across Loch Morlich

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