Parking
Start on Gortons Road by the old railway. Parking at Grantown Square and Burnfield car park is described for a separate town-square circuit; dedicated parking at this access was not confirmed, so allow for a walk to the start.
Overview
About Beachen Orange Trail
Why go
- A Glenbeg opening gives the woodland circuit a clear view payoff.
Heads up
- Narrow, uneven rocky sections can be muddy after rain.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation230–280 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Cairngorms alerts
- CautionStorm Boelo high windsStorm Boelo will bring extremely windy weather to the Cairngorms; take extra care and limit time outdoors. - The Park Authority expects the very windy weather to last until Monday 26 October.Official details
- ClosureGlenmore wildfire closures and dangerous treesWildfire damage has closed Allt Mor car park and the path to Sugarbowl/Utsi’s Bridge; keep out of the closed area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cairngorms Tour Guide
Your drive to Beachen Orange Trail, narrated.
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 area
Anagach Woods' All Abilities Trail0:00 / 0:28
“You're approaching Anagach Woods, where the All Abilities Trail offers a gentle way into the pinewoods.”
Plays on the road 1.1 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Grantown Square and Museum
- When the Main Line Crossed Dava
- A Rock with Two Different Sides
- Ivy’s Two Leaf Shapes
- 298 audio storiesacross Cairngorms’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Reindeer, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 260 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Beachen Orange Trail
The circuitBeachen Orange Trail is a circular woodland walk near Grantown-on-Spey, listed at 3 miles (5…
Beachen Orange Trail is a circular woodland walk near Grantown-on-Spey, listed at 3 miles (5 km) and about two hours. It starts on Gortons Road by the old railway, crosses forest tracks and narrow rocky paths, then opens above Glenbeg toward the Cairngorms before curling back through the woods. The mapped line measures about 2.6 miles, shorter than the listed total, so plan for the full three-mile outing.
Footing and paceThe route has moderate slopes and alternates forest track with narrow, rocky, uneven paths that…
The route has moderate slopes and alternates forest track with narrow, rocky, uneven paths that can be muddy after rain. A wooden footbridge has steps at both ends. Allow the full two hours rather than treating it as a smooth, level woodland stroll.
Glenbeg outlookThe trees thin near Glenbeg, opening a view over woodland toward the Cairngorms.
The trees thin near Glenbeg, opening a view over woodland toward the Cairngorms. This is the circuit’s clearest break from the enclosed forest and its main place to pause for the valley view.
Start and dogsThe listed start is on Gortons Road beside the old railway.
The listed start is on Gortons Road beside the old railway. Dogs may come along when kept under proper control. Grantown Square and Burnfield car park are described as parking for a separate, longer circuit that starts in town; dedicated parking at the Orange Trail access was not confirmed, so allow for a walk from town parking to the route start.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Cairngorms
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.
