Camping in Cairngorms

Camping in the Cairngorms means camping at altitude, and that changes things. Even valley campsites at Braemar or Grantown-on-Spey sit several hundred metres above sea level, and the park regularly records the coldest temperatures in the UK. Frost is possible in any month, nights are cold even in July, and a three-season sleeping bag that copes elsewhere in Britain will feel thin here. Bring more insulation than you think you need, particularly a decent sleeping mat.

The terrain is generally kind for pitching. Most established sites occupy well-drained ground on river terraces or forest clearings, with short turf and shelter from pines or birch. Ground water is the main issue after prolonged rain, and exposure is the main issue on open ground, where the wind funnelling down the straths can be fierce. Pegs that bite into stony soil are worth having.

Wild camping is legal throughout the Cairngorms under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, provided you follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Unlike Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, the park has no seasonal byelaws restricting it. The expectation is genuine lightweight camping: small tents, one or two nights in a spot, well away from roads, buildings and enclosed farmland, no trace left and no fires. Open fires are strongly discouraged everywhere and effectively unacceptable in the ancient pinewood at Rothiemurchus, Abernethy and Glen Feshie, where the ground itself will burn. Use a stove, pack out everything including food waste, and bury or carry out human waste well away from water.

The best months are May, June and September. May and June give the longest days, the driest ground and the least insect trouble; September brings autumn colour and the deer rut without the summer crowds. July and August are warm but midge-heavy near water and woodland at dawn and dusk. Most commercial sites in the park open from around March or April to October, though a few, including Braemar, stay open for almost the whole year and take winter tourers. Book ahead for the Braemar Gathering weekend and for the summer holidays, when the popular Speyside parks fill completely.