Parking
Start at Ardvonie Car Park in Kingussie. The route ends in Newtonmore, so arrange a pickup or separate return before setting out.
Overview
About Curlew Trail, Kingussie to Newtonmore
Why go
- Crosses open hill between two villages, with views over Loch Gynack and nearby hills.
- Passes the mapped site of the old Glen Gynack township.
Heads up
- Steep, narrow, rough sections make the five-mile route strenuous.
- The finish is in Newtonmore, so a car left in Kingussie needs a separate return plan.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation236–346 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 Curlew Trail, Kingussie to Newtonmore, 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 trailhead
Kingussie and Creag Bheag0:00 / 0:22
“You're nearing Ardvonie car park in Kingussie, the starting point for Creag Bheag. Choose this for a hilltop view over the town and Spey valley, with a stone shelter where you can sit at the summit.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Siege That Ruthven Survived
- Ruthven Barracks after Culloden
- Insh Marshes at Invertromie
- Highland Folk Museum
- 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 Curlew Trail, Kingussie to Newtonmore
The crossingThe Curlew Trail is a strenuous, five-mile (8 km) point-to-point walk from Ardvonie Car Park in…
The Curlew Trail is a strenuous, five-mile (8 km) point-to-point walk from Ardvonie Car Park in Kingussie to Newtonmore. It climbs to Loch Gynack, then crosses open hillside toward the neighbouring village, with views over lochs and surrounding hills. Allow 3.5 hours for the one-way route. The five miles do not include the return, so arrange a pickup in Newtonmore or plan a separate route back.
Up to Loch GynackThe route leaves Kingussie through birch woodland on paths beside the golf course before…
The route leaves Kingussie through birch woodland on paths beside the golf course before reaching Loch Gynack. Short steep climbs and steps break up the walk; expect narrow, rough, rocky tread and some boggy ground near the loch. The trail passes the old Glen Gynack township site near the water.
Across the hillWest of the loch, the route crosses open hillside before descending toward Newtonmore by Strone…
West of the loch, the route crosses open hillside before descending toward Newtonmore by Strone Road. Follow the signed Curlew route at junctions with the local paths; this is a point-to-point walk, not a loop. Dogs may accompany walkers under Scotland's responsible-access rules; keep them under proper control around livestock and wildlife.
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.
