Parking
Start at Ellan Wood car park beside Carrbridge Cemetery, off Station Road. The mapped circuit begins about 70 m from this access.
Overview
About Ellan Wood Circular
Why go
- A compact circuit mixes woodland paths with wetland boardwalks.
Heads up
- Rough, sometimes muddy footing and steps on a short walk.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation269–285 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 Ellan Wood Circular, 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
Carrbridge's Coffin Bridge0:00 / 0:31
“Up ahead in Carrbridge is the old packhorse bridge, a narrow stone arch over the River Dulnain. Built in seventeen seventeen, it carried funeral parties towards Duthil Churchyard, earning the name Coffin Bridge.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Landmark Forest Adventure Park
- A Pine Cone’s Weather Response
- Songs That Worked the Cloth
- The Coal Tit’s Takeaway
- 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 Ellan Wood Circular
The short loopThis one-mile (1.
This one-mile (1.6 km) circuit winds through Ellan Wood on forest tracks and narrower paths, crossing wet ground on boardwalks and steps. Start at the cemetery car park off Station Road in Carrbridge and allow about 45 minutes. This is the short woodland circuit; longer Carrbridge walks add Railway Wood and a riverside leg to the old packhorse bridge.
Footing and dogsSome sections are rough and can turn muddy after rain, so wear shoes with grip.
Some sections are rough and can turn muddy after rain, so wear shoes with grip. Despite its short distance, the walk is graded moderate. Dogs are welcome; keep them close and use a short lead where signs ask, especially during the April to August ground-nesting bird season.
The nameEllan may come from the Gaelic ailean, meaning a green or plain, perhaps referring to land by…
Ellan may come from the Gaelic ailean, meaning a green or plain, perhaps referring to land by the nearby river. That suggested origin is uncertain.
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.
