Making tracks for the Cairngorms

The eight-minute funicular ride is exhilarating in itself as the carriage glides up the steep slope. I couldn’t have timed it better, journeying north on one of the May heatwave’s warmest days.

Although slightly hazy in the middle of a cloudless day, you really could see for miles. Loch Morlich is glistening, the Spey valley stretches beyond and in the foreground rest the ski tows and rocky contours of the mountain. It’s a great way to survey a slice of the 1,748 sq miles of the Cairngorms National Park.

The Ptarmigan restaurant – 500ft short of Cairn Gorm summit – has launched a gin flight. Pick three of four Cairngorm Distillery gins and enjoy them with the view. I paired them with my lunch – a delicious carrot and dill soup and an outstanding iced carrot and orange cake which was an excellent buddy for my daytime gins.

Cairngorm Gin is made in Aviemore where Jack Smith moved his distillery and shop in spring 2025, although he has been making gins in the area since 2019. The entrepreneurial former chef has plans for another venture in the village, so his empire is growing.

At the Ptarmigan, his Signature and Mountain (Navy strength) gins line up alongside two developed in partnership with local attractions. Rothiemurchus features botanicals found on the estate such as pine, bilberry, mulberry, heather flower, rowan berry and rosehip. And it is a fresh citrusy drink with an aromatic layer.

Reindeer Gin celebrates the Cairngorm herd which has roamed the area since 1952. Its hero botanical is reindeer moss (a lichen), which along with Caledonian pine, cloudberry, heather flowers and rose hips – and a touch of spice – capture the mountain experience. A donation from every bottle sold supports the well-being of the Cairngorm reindeer herd.

The Crairngorms National Park is a treasure chest for botanicals and it is not surprising that it is something of a gin-making hotspot. On the outskirts of Aviemore, I visit Kinrara Distillery to find out more about the range which fills its eye-catching Artist Edition bottles. I’m drawn to Ginny which is citrusy and spicy and comes in a bottle with a beautiful design by Kat Baxter of a Highland cow created out of its botanicals. In the village, Spey – maker of Byron’s Gin – uses a retail unit as a visitor centre while it waits for a replacement for its “lost” distillery. Spey is primarily a whisky maker so that gives me a chance to taste what Speyside is really famous for – malt whisky.

Aviemore itself has been a destination for snow sports since the 1960s, but really owes its existence to the railways. Before the train station opened in 1863, Rothiemurchus was the main place in the area. With the railway came Aviemore’s stone Victorian buildings including the Cairngorm Hotel where I’m staying. This independent hotel has a busy bar and restaurant and I watch in awe as the ever-smiling staff look after the constant stream of diners and a packed bar.

Live music – from soft rock to traditional Scottish songs – keeps locals and tourists coming back. With a deck and beer garden in the sunshine I feel I am on holiday.

The hotel’s food has a reputation and from the full Scottish breakfast to the rich venison casserole, even the ice cream, portions were for hearty appetites as befits a kitchen in the heart of an area which offers year-round high octane adventures. The menu is a mix of tasty traditional pub fare with a Scottish flourish and I really must go back to try the haggis lasagna.

The Cairngorm Hotel is directly across the road from the buses and trains. Having arrived on a ScotRail service direct from Edinburgh, I had dropped my bags before taking the No30 bus and the half-hour drive to the Cairngorm Base Station. You could probably shave some time off my five-hour gin journey, if you study the timetables.

Next day I make tracks for the railway again for a journey back in time on the Strathspey railway. Puffing gently in the sunshine is a steam train waiting to take us along the heritage line to Broomhill. I’m doing it in style with afternoon tea and it is sumptuous. There are sandwiches, made to order on board, as well as scones, delicate pastries and sweet treats created in the railway’s dedicated kitchens.

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We stop at pretty Boat of Garten station, and as the crew take on water explore the occasional set of The Traitors. Back on board, it’s time to appreciate the rest of the tea treats as we track the River Spey. The end of the 10-mile route is beyond Broomhill or “Glenbogle” as those of a certain vintage would know it from TV series Monarch of the Glen. It leaves the overseas visitors bemused as we line up for selfies with the prop sign left after the series finished in 2005.

Back on board and with tea consumed, I study the landscape more closely. There are the curves of the Spey, fields, moorlands and birch forest and on the horizon those majestic mountains.

More insight into the countryside of the National Park comes on the tracks of Rothiemurchus. With a quad bike we can explore the estate. First stop is with the adorable Highland cattle where we learn about the herd from Emma Norton who runs Quad Bike Treks Aviemore. Then we head up into the wilder country and look at the different habitats.

Most impressive is a stop beside a deer fence. The area was devastated by wildfire more than 20 years ago and today illustrates the impact of grazing deer. Beyond the fence it is heather and a few trees, while beside us – protected from the deer – is mixed woodland bursting with life. And I thought quad biking would be all adrenaline, yet here I am in a nature lesson. Fascinating.

Fact file

Cairngorm Mountain Railway www.cairngormmountain.co.uk; Cairngorm Gin cairngormgin.com; Kinrara Distillery www.kinraradistillery.com; Cairngorm Hotel, Aviemore cairngorm.com; Strathspey Railway www.strathspeyrailway.co.uk; Rothiemurchus Estate rothiemurchus.net; Quad Bike Treks at Rothiemurchus www.quadtreksaviemore.com; Cairngorms National Park cairngorms.co.uk