Store · Cairngorms National Park
A country-store and food stop beside the Falls of Bruar.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cairngorms Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cairngorms National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Cairngorms audio tourRecorded for this place
Falls of Bruar and House of Bruar“You're coming up on House of Bruar, the starting point for the Falls of Bruar walk. Give the full gorge circuit an hour to ninety minutes for cascades, a natural rock arch and stone bridges.”
Plays as you drive up to House of Bruar in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
House of Bruar is a large country-store complex at Pitagowan on the A9, by Blair Atholl. Its campus brings together country clothing and tweed, outdoor wear, gifts, a Scottish food hall, a restaurant and smaller food outlets. It makes sense if you want to browse, eat or break up the drive; if you're here for hills and lochs, this is a commercial stop rather than a nature attraction.
The Falls of Bruar are close by, but they are a separate walk up a gorge to views of the water from two stone bridges. The route is short but can feel surprisingly strenuous, so allow time and energy for the walk instead of treating it as a level stroll around the shops.
The food hall, restaurant, bakery and market stall make this more than a quick shop stop, and there's also a fish-and-chip outlet. Visitors often like the Scottish food selection, though some find the prices high and value mixed. There is on-site parking, designated accessible bays and an accessible toilet.
The House opened in 1995 on the site of a country pub. The nearby falls had been drawing visitors for generations: Robert Burns visited Bruar Water in 1787 and wrote The Humble Petition of Bruar Water about it.
Wildlife
159 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
63 sightingsReindeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
102 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
37 sightingsBlack GrouseMost seen around 4 AMSighting map
72 sightingsRed GrouseMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
82 sightingsPine MartenMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cairngorms. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateFalls of Bruar Trail2.4 km · 1.5 hr · At the trailheadA short gorge loop links waterfalls, stone bridges, and a Burns story.
ModerateStruan Kirk Walk2.4 km · 1 hr · 1.9 km awayA short circuit to a remote kirk above the River Garry gorge.
ChallengingStruan Point Walk4 km · 1.8 hr · 2.1 km awayA short, steep moorland climb to views over Strathgarry.
ChallengingScottish National Trail: Blair Atholl to Kingussie71.2 km · 19.5 hr · 5 km awayThree remote days link river fords, a bothy, and the Insh Marshes.
ChallengingTulach Viewpoint Walk4.8 km · 2 hr · 5.3 km awayA steep climb from birch woods to a Blair Atholl viewpoint.
EasyBalvenie Pillar Path1.6 km · 45 min · 5.3 km awayA short loop to the pillar marking the estate's last public hanging.
ModerateGlen Tilt Circuit16.1 km · 4.5 hr · 5.3 km awayA river-gorge circuit with old settlements and a six-mile shortcut.
ModerateFarm and Forest Walk6.4 km · 2.3 hr · 5.3 km awayGreen arrows lead to a high view up Glen TiltSight · 0.4 km awayFalls of BruarA wooded gorge walk with cascades, old bridges and a rock arch
Sight · 4.5 km awayBlair Castle & GardensFurnished rooms, formal gardens and 750 years of castle history
Campground · 5.3 km awayBlair Castle Caravan ParkA practical base for castle gardens and woodland walks
Sight · 5.4 km awayAtholl Country Life MuseumSee the moved post office and a doctor’s winter-call sleigh.
Visitor center · 5.4 km awayBlair Atholl Information CentreA quick orientation stop, with local history and family activities.Parkwolf’s Cairngorms ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
