Wild Camping Near Glenfeshie

Can you actually wild camp near Glenfeshie?

Glen Feshie is one of the finest wild-camping glens in the country, and — being in the Cairngorms rather than the Loch Lomond park — it has no permit zones: standard access rights apply throughout. It is the story of Scottish rewilding made visible, an ancient Caledonian pinewood being allowed to regenerate up the hillsides, with the River Feshie braiding through it and the great plateau of the Moine Mhòr above. Camp here responsibly and you get remote, beautiful pinewood pitches; the price of admission is being genuinely self-sufficient and treading very lightly on a sensitive, recovering landscape.

Where to go

• Lower Glen Feshie pinewoods (Achlean end)

  Road-end car park at Achlean, then walk in

  Standard access rights — no permit

  Sheltered, atmospheric pitches among the old Scots pines along the river, an easy walk from the road end. The classic Glenfeshie wild camp. The regenerating woodland is the whole point of the place, so pitch on durable ground away from young trees, and never light a fire — this is prime peat and pinewood.

• Ruigh Aiteachain bothy

  ~6km up the glen from the road end

  MBA bothy — free, no booking; camp nearby if full

  One of the best-loved and best-maintained bothies in Scotland, deep in the pinewoods. No booking, no fee, strict bothy etiquette. It fills at weekends, so carry a tent as backup and pitch discreetly nearby rather than crowding the bothy.

• Upper glen & the Moine Mhòr approach

  Long walk-in south towards the plateau

  Standard rights; genuinely remote, high and exposed

  For committed backpackers, the upper glen leads onto the Moine Mhòr — the "great moss" — and the high Cairngorm plateau, or through to the Geldie and the Lairig Ghru. Serious, remote, weather-exposed camping for the experienced; water is everywhere but shelter is not.

• Glen Feshie to Braemar through-route

  Multi-day traverse

  Standard rights; a wilderness crossing

  Glenfeshie is the western gateway to one of the classic long Cairngorm through-routes, over the watershed to the Geldie and down to Braemar. A two- or three-day backpacking wild camp through the heart of the massif for those equipped for real remoteness.

Getting there

Glen Feshie is reached via Kincraig and Feshiebridge, off the B970 south of Aviemore, with a small road-end car park at Achlean where the walking starts. Aviemore, 20–30 minutes away, has excellent rail links (Highland Main Line from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth), so a car-free trip is realistic to Aviemore, though the last few miles to the glen are awkward without transport. Most people drive to the road end.

Midges & season

The Cairngorms are drier and more continental than the west coast, so Glenfeshie's midges are usually a notch less brutal than Skye or Argyll — "moderate" rather than "very high". But the sheltered pinewood floor on a still, warm July evening can still swarm; pitch where a breeze moves through the trees, and carry a net. May and September are superb here, cold but often clear and midge-free.

Current conditions

Frequently asked questions

Can you wild camp in Glen Feshie?

Yes — Glen Feshie is in the Cairngorms National Park, which has no camping management zones, so responsible wild camping is legal throughout under Scotland's access rights, no permit needed. It is one of the finest pinewood glens in the country. Because the woodland is actively regenerating, pitch on durable ground away from young trees, never light fires, and leave absolutely no trace.

Do you need a permit to camp in Glenfeshie?

No. Unlike Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, the Cairngorms have no camping permit system — standard Scottish access rights and the Outdoor Access Code apply everywhere in Glen Feshie. The only "rules" are the responsible-camping ones: small tent, durable ground, no fires, one or two nights, everything carried out.

Is there a bothy in Glen Feshie?

Yes — Ruigh Aiteachain, one of the best-maintained Mountain Bothies Association bothies in Scotland, sits about 6km up the glen among the pines. It is free and needs no booking, but it fills at weekends, so carry a tent as backup and follow the Bothy Code. It makes an excellent bad-weather backstop for a Glenfeshie camp.

How do I get to Glen Feshie for wild camping?

Drive to the road-end car park at Achlean, reached via Kincraig and Feshiebridge off the B970 south of Aviemore, then walk in. Aviemore (20–30 minutes away) has good rail links, but the final few miles to the glen are awkward without a car, so most people drive to the road end and start walking there.