Loch an Eilein Loop

Loch an Eilein is widely regarded as the finest short walk in Scotland — a beautiful sheet of water reflecting the magnificent Scots pines of Rothiemurchus Forest, with a romantic ruined island castle providing the perfect finishing touch, and consistently voted one of the UK's best picnic spots.

The route starts from the car park at the end of the minor road to the loch, where a per-person parking charge helps fund conservation work — bird feeders near the wooden booth regularly attract crested tits and red squirrels, so it's worth a pause before setting off. A path signed "Loch an Eilein" leads through a gap in a wall, passing an idyllic whitewashed cottage before a gate leads into the forest proper. The path hugs the loch's southern shoreline where possible, passing signs for the Lairig Ghru and Glen Einich — long-distance paths leading deep into the Cairngorms for those seeking wilder adventures.

Continuing round the loch on good, well-maintained footpaths, walkers pass through fine stands of ancient Scots pine, with the ruined castle — thought to date from the 13th century and later associated with the notorious "Wolf of Badenoch" — coming into view on its small island partway round. For those wanting a longer outing, an optional extension leads to the quieter, muddier shores of neighbouring Loch Gamhna, backed by the bare crag of Creag an Fhitheach, adding around 45 minutes to the walk through more beautiful pinewoods dotted with ancient "granny pines."

The main circuit continues back through the forest, with birdlife including wrens, jays, and treecreepers regularly seen and heard along the way, before returning to the car park to complete this gentle, level circuit — around three miles taking roughly an hour and a half without the Loch Gamhna extension.

This is an easy, family-friendly walk on good paths throughout, suitable for pushchairs on the main route with some care over exposed tree roots, though the optional Loch Gamhna extension is unmaintained and can be genuinely muddy — dogs should be kept under close control or on a lead, particularly between April and August when ground-nesting birds are present.

Parking at Loch an Eilein is chargeable (per person); there is no direct public transport, though the walk is within reasonable cycling or walking distance of Aviemore via National Cycle Route 7.