Visiting Cairngorm
Helpful resort information to assist planning your trip to Cairngorm.
- Season opens17 Dec 2022
- Season closes16 Apr 2023
- Accommodation—
- Restaurants | Bars2 | 25
- Nearest Airport Inverness
- Nearest Train Station Aviemore
- Tourist Office Website
- Tourist Office Phone+44/1479/861261
Cairngorm Features
The terrain at Cairngorm includes::
- Halfpipes—
- Terrain Parks1
- X-Country0.0 km
- Ski Hire—
Ed Leighs Money Savings Tips whilst visiting Cairngorm
What's it like at Cairngorm resort?
The spiritual home of winter sports in Britain. Cairngorm and the nearby town of Aviemore have supplied all the recent big names in the British ski scene. From Emma Carrick-Anderson, to the fabulous Baxter Boys and Lesley McKenna. On its day Scotland can offer some great riding, nowhere better than here. Sadly, those bluebird days are undeniably scarcer than they were in decades gone so that the new mantra at the ski resorts is diversify or decline. Cairngorm is now just as important for summer mountain-biking as it is for skiing. On a bad winters day dress for horizontal rain and snow whipped along by some of the most ferocious low-altitude winds on the planet. The prevailing westerly weather moves quickly off the Atlantic and so skiing here is all about timing; avoiding the mild SE gales that eat into the snowpack and force lifts to close and making the most of a brief ridge of high pressure that follows a snowy northerly. Time it right, and you can find perfect conditions on and off-piste at Cairngorm and in cold winters, where the conveyor of Atlantic storms abates and continental air rules, you can find week after week of great conditions and even powder days. The skiing here is situated on the sixth highest mountain in Britain but that's still not high enough to be really snow sure. A funicular railway should help the mountain stay open during times of high winds and reduced snow cover low down; 5 cannons assist snow-making. Off the slopes, at Cairngorm, there is plenty of accommodation in Aviemore and the surrounding villages and the alternative little resort of Lecht is an hour away by road. Nightlife is lively.
Latest photos from Cairngorm. View all photos at the Cairngorm gallery page.
Photo credit: Snow Forecast Admin
Photo credit: tourist offical
Photo credit: tourist offical
Photo credit: tourist offical
Photo credit: Snow Forecast Admin
Photo credit: Snow Forecast Admin
Photo credit: Snow Forecast Admin
Photo credit: Snow Forecast Admin
Explore Cairngorm Location Map
Interactive Cairngorm trail map and piste map. View the piste and trails as well as the surrounding terrain and mountain contours for backcountry action. Find and compare nearby resorts by clicking on the resort markers.

Cairngorm Live Weather
Resort | Snow Depth | Temp. (°C) | Wind (km/h) | Weather | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Top Lift: | 0.15 m | 0 | ||||
Middle Lift: | 2 | |||||
Bottom Lift: | 0.05 m | 3 | ||||

When's the snowiest month to visit Cairngorm?
Visitor Reviews of Cairngorm
Spike Soton from United Kingdom writes:
Just had a great day skiing on the Thursday of the week after Easter with very small queues, perfect snow on most runs above the mid station and mostly sunny weather.
My only criticism is that the short beginners Poma was running a bit fast for an unmanned beginners lift. My daughter got clouted hard before I could get in a position to fend off the buttons.
Resorts close to Cairngorm
Discover ski resorts near Cairngorm. Click below to view there ski resort guides.
Latest Webcam
The Lecht
Last snow: 2.0 cm Tue 28 MarLifts: 14
Trails: 20
27 km awayGlenshee
Last snow: 4.7 cm Tue 28 MarLifts: 25
Trails: —
37 km awayNevis Range
Last snow: 3.5 cm Tue 28 MarLifts: 12
Trails: 35
86 km awayGlencoe Mountain Resort
Last snow: 4.0 cm Tue 28 MarLifts: 8
Trails: 19
90 km awayAllenheads
Last snow: 1.0 cm Sun 26 MarLifts: 3
Trails: —
274 km away