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Glenmore, near Aviemore · Nature
Loch Morlich Beach
Bring a bucket and spade for the sandy shore of Loch Morlich, with pine woods behind you and the Cairngorms across the water. You can stay for a picnic and beach play, or add a woodland walk when everyone has the energy.
- Best for
- Toddlers through teens who enjoy beach time
- Cost
- Free beach; paid parking and watersports
- Weather
- Outdoors; best on a dry, settled day
- Visit length
- Flexible beach stop; walks are optional
Our family take
This is an easy day to keep flexible with toddlers and mixed ages: nobody needs to finish a trail to enjoy the beach. Choose a dry, settled day when you can linger outside. If you need indoor entertainment or a firm surface all the way to the water, choose another outing.
- Parking and toilets. Parking is paid. Beach toilets open 1 April–31 October; Glenmore village has year-round toilets.
- Water and access. Watch children closely at the water. Sand is difficult for wheels, and the full loch walk includes a steep ramp and road crossings.
- Before a longer walk. Forestry work is closing some routes around Badaguish. Check the current closure map and follow signs.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Cost
- The beach is free. Parking costs £2 for up to 1 hour, £3 for up to 3 hours or £5 all day, charged 8am–10pm daily. Watersports are separate paid activities.Beach car park charges
- Finding the beach
- From Aviemore, follow signs for the Cairngorms for 6 miles. Pass the first loch car park and use the entrance signed Loch Morlich Watersports.
- Toilets and changing
- Beach car park toilets open 24 hours a day from 1 April to 31 October, including accessible toilets. Glenmore village has year-round toilets. Bring your own changing kit; baby-changing provision is unconfirmed.
- Food
- Bring a picnic. The Boathouse Café overlooks the beach, but check opening before relying on it. Fires and barbecues are not allowed at this site.
- Bus or bike
- Buses between Aviemore and Cairngorm Mountain pass the beach. Check the current timetable. The Old Logging Way cycle route runs 6 miles from Aviemore to Glenmore Visitor Centre.Plan a bus journey
- Current path closures
- Harvesting work around Badaguish affects some forest routes. Check the closure map before extending your walk beyond the beach.Current forestry alerts
18 October 2026
Check latest visitor information (official)A little more detail
Make it work for your family
Keep the beach as the main plan
With younger children, sandcastles and a picnic can fill the visit without a long walk. Bring warm layers and spare clothes so a change in the weather does not have to end the outing immediately.
The water is open and cold; stay close to children at the edge and follow any warning signs. A beach award does not mean swimming conditions are safe on the day.
Loch Morlich Watersports offers activities such as kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding. These are separate from visiting the beach: check the operator’s current age, supervision, booking and weather requirements for the activity you want.
Beach time or a longer walk?
The Beach Trail is the shorter woodland option: 2.4 km, with Forestry and Land Scotland suggesting around an hour. It follows mostly wide, smooth gravel paths and a section of roadside pavement, with some short moderate slopes. That is the trail’s full length, not the distance from the car park to the sand.
The Loch Morlich Trail is a 5.8 km circuit, with a suggested walking time of two hours before extra stops. It has uneven gravel, potentially muddy sections, a steep ramp and two road crossings. Leave it for children who are comfortable with that distance, or shorten the outing to the beach.
Allow more time for younger legs and stops. The woods break up the views, so a full circuit is not necessary if the mountain-and-loch view is what you came for.
Buggies and wheelchair access
Blue Badge parking and accessible toilets are listed at the beach car park. The shorter Beach Trail has smoother surfaces than the full loch circuit, but it still has slopes. The sand itself is a different surface, so do not assume a buggy or wheelchair can reach your chosen spot by the water.
If you need a particular step-free route or toilet arrangement, contact the Glenmore team before travelling. A carrier may make beach time easier with a small child, if it suits your family.
Arriving on a busy day
The beach car park can fill quickly in sunny weather. Arriving earlier or taking the bus can save a search for a space. Park only in designated areas and keep access clear.
Read the signs at the beach car park: Forestry and Land Scotland parking passes and tickets are not valid here. Overnight parking is not permitted. The separately named Loch Morlich car park is not the beach entrance.
Plan the rest of your day
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