Thursday, 31 Oct 2024
Did you know that Scotland is home to ten of the 17 bat species living and breeding in the UK? …
Families play games on the sand, windsurfers tack across the clean water, and when the sun shines you can top up your tan. Close your eyes and you could be at the seaside! Famous for being the highest beach in Britain, this is the only freshwater beach in Scotland to have a Rural Beach Award.
Glenmore Forest Park route card (PDF)
Meander through the beautiful pine, birch and alder woods by the Allt Mor burn and Loch Morlich’s golden sands.
Mostly wide, smooth gravel path with section following smooth roadside pavement. Some short moderate slopes.
Allow 1 hour
The coarse, pink sand of Loch Morlich's popular beach comes from the granite of the Cairngorm mountains, ground down by glaciers and rivers over thousands of years.
A charming circuit round the water, with fine views of the mountains above and a good chance of seeing Goldeneye, red-throated divers and even otters.
Mostly wide, smooth and flat gravel surface. Some uneven gravel sections, with potentially muddy areas. Short moderate slopes and one steep ramp. Includes two road crossings.
Allow 2 hours
Winding through Forestry Commission land, with the loch shining through the trees, this trail gives you a real experience of the great swathe of woodland that washes against the slopes of the Cairngorms. Look out for dippers, wagtails and herons by the burns that feed the loch along the way.
If you’d like to try zipping across the waves, you can hire boats, canoes or windsurfers at Loch Morlich Watersports. They’ll teach you how to use them too.
Just a little way from the beach, the trails offer peace, quiet, and a forest alive with birds and animals. Come early in the morning and watch for birds like sandpipers and herons, or otters hunting along the streams that feed the loch.
Looking for somewhere to stay? Get a pitch at Glenmore campsite.
Public toilets are available 24 hours at Loch Morlich Beach car park (Easter- 31 October) and in Glenmore village (year round).
No camping is allowed within the car park area. Fires and barbecues are not permitted anywhere at this site. For more information on best practice in the outdoors, visit the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
Visitors are welcome to use non-motorised crafts on Loch Morlich. Crafts which are propelled by a motor rather than the user or the wind, such as e-foils, are not permitted here.
Tickets bought at any machine in the Glenmore Forest Park are valid in all our other car parks in Glenmore. The charges to park at Loch Morlich Beach are:
Please park with care and consideration. In particular please park in designated parking areas only and do not block entrances or gates. Nearby car parks with free parking can be found in our local forest list without the £ symbol.
The nearest 'pay by card' car park ticket machine is located near the front door of the Glenmore Visitor Centre. Car Parking tickets bought at any machine are valid in all Forestry and Land Scotland Car Parks in Glenmore Forest Park.
Valid at Glenmore Visitor Centre, Loch Morlich Beach, Loch Morlich, Lochside, Sugarbowl, Allt Mor, Allt Ban, Hayfield.
Valid at all Forestry and Land Scotland car parks except Tentsmuir.
From the roundabout at the south end of Aviemore follow the signs for 'The Cairngorms' for 6 miles. Stay on the main road passing the first car park at Loch Morlich, continuing on to the far end of the loch. A sign for 'Loch Morlich Watersports' marks the entrance to Loch Morlich Beach.
You can cycle here from Aviemore on the Old Logging Way; a superb, safe bike route that runs for 6 miles between Aviemore and the Glenmore Forest Park Visitor Centre.
PH22 1QU is the nearest postcode.
Buses between Aviemore and the Cairngorm Mountain ski centre pass Loch Morlich Beach. Plan your journey at Traveline Scotland.
Have a question or suggestion for improvement?
The essential starting point for your visit to Glenmore
Ancient pine trees, dragonflies and wood ants
A wonderful mix of tall pine, heather and blueberry