Rangers Services in the Cairngorms National Park
There are 13 different Ranger Services operating within the Cairngorms National Park alongside a number of wardens and site managers. Their main roles include providing a welcome for visitors to the countryside and encouraging responsible access. They also help people understand the local environment and look after the countryside for us all to enjoy.
Many of the services run free or subsidised events for the public to help visitors better understand the special qualities of the National Park. For details of the Cairngorms Countryside Events taking place during April and May, please click here.
The services below have been arranged in a clockwise order starting from the Drumochter/Laggan area in the south west corner of the Park. The rangers can be contacted by phone or via their websites.
Please note that the links below will take you out of the Cairngorms National Park website. The CNPA does not accept responsibility for the content of these external sites.
Highland Council Countryside Rangers
The Highland Council’s Countryside Rangers are employed by the Local Authority. They offer a wide-ranging programme of walks throughout Badenoch and Strathspey, with the emphasis being on exploring the local area, with plenty of time to look around and enjoy the wonderful surroundings and associated wildlife.Tel: 01540 672 907 Newtonmore
Tel: 01479 873 914 Grantown-on-Spey
Forestry Commission Scotland
Forestry Commission Scotland is responsible for the management of forests and woodland owned by the nation. They are the biggest recreation provider in Britain and are working to improve the woods for people and wildlife. Four rangers work within the Cairngorms area, two based at Glenmore in Badenoch, and two covering Deeside, Kincardine and Aberdeen. Walks, talks and school visits can be arranged by request. Glenmore Visitor Centre near Aviemore has free admission to interpretation about the local forest.Tel: 01479 861 220
Rothiemurchus Estate
Rothiemurchus Estate extends from the River Spey at Aviemore to the tops of the Cairngorms. Enjoy great views of the mountains while making your way through the ancient Caledonian Forest with its rivers, lochs and island castle. It is in the ownership and care of the Grants of Rothiemurchus and the ranger service, those who live and work there, and those who enjoy it.www.rothiemurchus.net
Tel: 01479 812 345
Explore Abernethy
Explore Abernethy Centre, Community Centre, Nethy Bridge. The free Visitor Centre is open 11am - 4pm, April - October, 5 days a week (please contact the Centre to find out which days it is open). Featuring hands on activities, displays, the ‘Listening Post’ and more, the Explore Abernethy Room is your gateway to Abernethy Forests’ paths, history and wildlife. You can also find the Explore Abernethy ‘Walks Guide’, ranger service and visitor information here.www.exploreabernethy.plus.com
Tel: 01479 821 565
Speyside Way
The ranger service look after the 84 mile long Speyside Way that links Buckie on the Moray Coast with Aviemore in Strathspey, with spurs to Dufftown and Tomintoul. The route offers mainly easy walking on low ground along a mixture of seashore, river valley, old railway and moorland. The rangers operate a Visitor Centre with interpretation about the Speyside Way, in Aberlour.www.speysideway.org
Tel: 01340 881 266
Glenlivet Estate Ranger Service, Tomintoul
Glenlivet Estate, part of the Crown Estate, lies between the Ladder and Cromdale hills at the north east edge of the Cairngorms. Within this varied landscape you can enjoy excellent walking, cycling, horse riding and skiing on the extensive network of waymarked trails, but above all you can find solitude and a wonderful sense of peace, quiet and open space. The ranger service operates a Visitor Centre in Tomintoul, with free entrance.www.glenlivetestate.co.uk
Tel: 01807 580 283
Aberdeenshire Council Ranger Service
Aberdeenshire Council Ranger Service is responsible for implementing many of the Local Authority’s environmental strategies across Aberdeenshire, with an emphasis on countryside access and community involvement. The service covers the area of the National Park in Strathdon and Deeside/Glenshee.www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/rangerservice
Tel: 013398 85751
Glen Tanar Estate, near Aboyne
Glen Tanar Estate is a Highland estate specialising in forestry, farming and field sports. The estate runs from Mount Keen in the south to the River Dee in the north and is dominated by its internationally important Caledonian Forest remnant. There is a Visitor Centre at Braelonie, with free entrance.www.glentanar.co.uk
Tel: 013398 86072
Balmoral Estate, near Crathie
Balmoral Estate is a Highland estate with a long association with Royalty. Its rugged beauty first attracted Queen Victoria who bought the estate in 1852 and since then it has provided a home for successive generations of the Royal Family. Today the estate attracts 180,000 people per year, many of whom come to enjoy Loch Muick and Lochnagar. There is a Visitor Centre at Loch Muick, with free entrance.www.balmoralcastle.com
Tel: 013397 55059
Invercauld Estate, near Braemar
Invercauld Estate is situated in the south east area of the Cairngorms National Park and covers an area from Ballater in the east, to Glenshee in the south, along the A93 corridor. The estate has an open access policy for all: you can enjoy activities from short waymarked routes to long walking routes through to skiing. The newly appointed ranger service operates over the entire estate, and can advise or accompany you on walking on the estate and sporting activities during the year.www.invercauld.org
Tel: 013397 41224
Mar Lodge
The National Trust for Scotland, near BraemarThe National Trust for Scotland is a conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to enjoy. Mar Lodge occupies part of the core area of the Cairngorms National Park and contains four of the five highest mountains in the UK as well as the upper watershed of the River Dee. There is pedestrian access to all of the estate, with opportunities for short and long walks over mountains or in the wooded glens.
www.marlodgeestate.org.uk
Tel: 013397 41669
Angus Glens Ranger Service
Based at Braedownie farmhouse in Glen Clova the Angus Glens Ranger Service has an operational area that takes in all of the local glens. The rangers are on hand to offer advice on walks, wildlife, hill conditions, stalking activities and a variety of other topics.Tel: 01575 550 233
Cairngorms Ranger Service
Cairngorms Ranger Service operates over Cairngorm Estate and the Northern Corries of Cairn Gorm. Coire an t-Sneachda and Coire an Lochain are both classic examples of glaciated corries. Rare lichens and mountain bird species are relatively easy to find here.www.cairngormmountain.com
Tel: 01479 861703
