Cairngorms National Park is free to enter and never closes — 4,528 km² of open access land with no gates, turnstiles or set hours, day or night. You only pay for the extras: the Cairngorm Mountain funicular (£17.95 adult booked in advance, £19.95 on the day), car parks such as Loch an Eilein at £4.50 per car, and the attractions that run their own seasonal hours.
Cairngorms National Park never closes — it's open access land with no gates, turnstiles or set hours, so you can walk, cycle or simply stand on a Munro at 3am if you want. Visitor and local information centres across the park operate year-round, with ranger bases in the main communities. Hours only matter at the attractions inside it: the Cairngorm Mountain funicular runs daily, weather permitting, with the last train up at 15:30 and last train down at 16:30 from September.
Swipe to see more
| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Sunday | Open 24 hours | The park itself has no gates or opening times — Scotland's right of responsible access applies to most of its 4,528 km² year-round. |
| Monday–Sunday (Cairngorm Mountain funicular) | First train up 10:00, last train up 15:30, last train down 16:30 (from September) | Ticket office 09:30–16:30; Ptarmigan Restaurant 10:00–16:30 with hot food ending at 15:30. Runs daily, weather permitting — check the Mountain Report before setting out. |
| Monday–Sunday (snowsports season) | Trains from 09:00, on demand | Subject to weather and snow conditions; railway capacity may be limited, so book ahead. February half-term is the busiest period. |
| Daylight note (December–February) | Only about 6.8–7 hours of daylight | Plan winter walks to finish by mid-afternoon; the plateau carries a real hypothermia risk in arctic conditions. |
The park itself has no holiday closures, but attractions inside it shut on their own calendars. Balmoral Castle closes whenever the Royal Family is in residence and was closed to visitors for the entire 2026 season — check balmoralcastle.com before travelling. The funicular also pauses periodically for maintenance (it was closed until 27 February 2025 for repairs), and November sits in a lull between autumn colour and the ski season, with many attractions on reduced hours. Book trains, campsites and activities well ahead for school holidays, especially February half-term and Easter.
The national park itself is completely free — 4,528 km² of open access land with no gates, turnstiles or entrance charge. You only pay for optional extras: the Cairngorm Mountain funicular costs £17.95 per adult booked online in advance (£19.95 on the day), with concessions and family tickets available.
Swipe to see more
| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| National park entry | Free | Open access land under Scotland's right of responsible access — no gates or set hours, open 24/7 |
| Funicular — Adult (18–64) | £17.95 online in advance / £19.50 on the day | Day pass for the 2 km railway from Base Station to Ptarmigan Top Station at 1,097 m |
| Funicular — Junior (6–17) | £9.95 online in advance / £11.95 on the day | |
| Funicular — Student and Senior (65+) | £14.50 online in advance / £16.50 on the day | |
| Funicular — Family (2 adults + 2 juniors) | £45.00 online in advance / £51.00 on the day | Best value if you're travelling with kids |
| Funicular — Child (0–5) and carers | Free | Ticket still required — book before travelling |
| Funicular — downward-only (adult) | £11.50 | For walkers who've climbed up and want to ride back down |
| Loch an Eilein car park | £4.50 per car per day | Attendant-monitored, at the trailhead of the 5 km loch circuit in Rothiemurchus |
| Aviemore Adventurer bus (route 30) | £3.20 adult single / £4.90 return; children £1.60 / £3.20 | Runs seven days a week between Aviemore and Cairngorm Mountain, with space for bikes and skis |
The park is free to enter every day of the year under Scotland's right of responsible access; no pass, permit or booking is needed to walk, cycle or wild camp, and children under 5 plus carers ride the funicular free (ticket still required).
Planning your visit to Cairngorms National Park? Find tours with free cancellation and skip-the-line options.
View All ToursMay–June and September are the best times to visit the Cairngorms — daytime highs of 12–17°C, drier trails, and up to about 17.8 hours of daylight around midsummer for long days on the plateau. Crowds peak in July and August, when families and watersports lovers fill Aviemore and Loch Morlich. November is the quiet, wet lull (around 17 rain days) before the December–April ski season draws everyone back to the northern corries.
Swipe to see more
| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Early morning (before 10:00) | Low | Quietest window for the Loch an Eilein circuit or a glen walk before the car park fills — worth it for the castle's still-water reflections, though the funicular's first train doesn't leave until 10:00 from September. |
| Mid-morning (10:00–12:00) | Moderate | Best time to catch the first funicular up to the Ptarmigan Top Station at 1,097 m and have the terrace to yourself; pre-book online the day before to pay £17.95 instead of £19.95. |
| Midday and early afternoon (12:00–15:30) | High | Peak arrivals at trailheads and attractions, especially July–August and February half-term — a good slot for families doing Loch Morlich's beach or the attractions around Aviemore. |
| Late afternoon (15:30–16:30) | Moderate | The last funicular up leaves at 15:30 and the last train down at 16:30, so this is when mountain visitors thin out and valley walkers get the paths back. |
| Evening (after 17:00) | Low | In June's long daylight you can still walk until late evening, but in December, with only 6.8 hours of daylight, plan to be off the hills by mid-afternoon. |
Plan on two to three days, based in Aviemore — that comfortably covers the funicular, the Loch an Eilein circuit, a glen walk and an attraction or two. A single full day can squeeze in the Ptarmigan Top Station plus the loch loop, but it's rushed. Munro-baggers working through the park's 55 peaks over 3,000 ft, and Speyside whisky tourers, routinely stay a full week.
Book funicular tickets online the day before and an adult day pass drops from £19.95 to £17.95. February half-term and Easter sell out first, since snowsports demand limits railway capacity. Remember the last train up is 15:30 and the last one down is 16:30, so don't turn up late afternoon expecting a ride.
The Stagecoach Aviemore Adventurer (route 30) runs seven days a week between Aviemore town centre and Cairngorm Mountain, with space for bikes and skis, and stops near Rothiemurchus for the Loch an Eilein walk. An adult single is £3.20, return £4.90 — far less than the £4.50 daily charge at the Loch an Eilein car park, and departures are timed around train arrivals.
It can be 10°C colder at the Top Station than in Aviemore, and the plateau generates its own weather — wind and drifting snow in any month. Carry waterproofs, spare layers, hat and gloves even for a short walk, and a map and compass above the forest line. Sunshine can turn to storm within an hour, even in summer.
Between 1 April and 30 September all fires and barbecues are illegal park-wide under the park's 2025 fire byelaw, including disposable BBQs and fire pits — the fine can reach £500. Wild camping is still allowed, so bring a gas stove instead. Only registered campsites are exempt from the ban.
June delivers roughly 17.8 hours of daylight; December barely 6.8, so plan winter walks to finish by mid-afternoon. May–June and September hit the sweet spot — daytime highs of 12–17°C, drier trails and fewer crowds than the busy July–August school holidays. Avoid November, the wettest month with roughly 17 rain days and reduced hours at many attractions.
No, entry is completely free — the park has no entrance fee, gates, or turnstiles, and most of its 4,528 km² is open access land under Scotland's right of responsible access. You only pay for optional extras like the Cairngorm Mountain funicular (£17.95 adult online in advance, £19.95 on the day) or car parking, such as £4.50 per car per day at Loch an Eilein.
An adult (18–64) day pass costs £17.95 booked online in advance or £19.95 on the day; juniors aged 6–17 pay £9.95/£11.95, students and seniors (65+) £14.50/£16.50, and a family ticket (2 adults + 2 juniors) £45.00/£51.00. Children 0–5 and carers travel free but still need a ticket, and a downward-only ticket from the top station is £11.50. Buying online the day before saves you £2 per adult.
The park itself never closes — as open access land there are no gates or set hours, and visitor centres operate year-round. Attractions keep their own schedules: from September the funicular's first train up is 10:00, the last up 15:30 and the last down 16:30, with the ticket office open 09:30–16:30 and the Ptarmigan Restaurant 10:00–16:30 (hot food stops at 15:30). Everything on the mountain runs weather permitting, so check the Mountain Report before you set out.
Yes, but you'll pay more — £19.95 instead of £17.95 for an adult day pass — and during the snowsports season capacity can be limited, so advance booking is wise. February half-term and Easter sell out early, when snowsports demand restricts railway capacity.
No. Under the Cairngorms National Park Fire Management Byelaw (2025), all fires and barbecues — including disposable ones, metal fire pits and fire bowls — are banned park-wide from 1 April to 30 September, with fines up to £500. Registered campsites are exempt; everyone else should cook on a gas stove.
The attendant-monitored car park at Loch an Eilein costs £4.50 per car per day. To skip parking altogether, the Aviemore Adventurer bus (route 30) runs seven days a week between Aviemore town centre and Cairngorm Mountain, stopping near Rothiemurchus for the loch — £3.20 adult single, £4.90 return, with child fares at £1.60/£3.20.
Two to three days based in Aviemore comfortably covers the funicular, the Loch an Eilein loop, a glen walk and an attraction or two. One full day can squeeze in the Ptarmigan Top Station plus the loch circuit, while Munro-baggers working through the park's 55 Munros and Speyside whisky tourers often stay a full week.
Browse verified tours with free cancellation and instant confirmation.
Find Tours