Parking
The leaflet names Dalwhinnie Village Hall as the start and marks a car park by the railway station. Public-use details, capacity and fees were not specified.
Overview
About Loch Ericht Walk
Why go
- Loch, dam and mountain views on a short loop
- Gentle gradients on pavement and broad estate tracks
Heads up
- Includes village roads and a roadside return
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation353–365 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 Loch Ericht Walk, 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
Loch Ericht from Dalwhinnie Village Hall0:00 / 0:27
“You're nearing Dalwhinnie Village Hall, the start of a short walk to Loch Ericht.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Dalwhinnie Distillery and Chocolate Tastings
- Dalwhinnie’s Condenser Comeback
- Meall Chuaich from Layby 94
- The Pillar That Helped Make the Map
- 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 Loch Ericht Walk
The short loopThis is a 1.5-mile loop from Dalwhinnie Village Hall, usually 30–45 minutes.
This is a 1.5-mile loop from Dalwhinnie Village Hall, usually 30–45 minutes. It starts on village pavement, then follows broad estate tracks with gentle gradients to the northern head of Loch Ericht before returning by Ben Alder Cottages and the village's eastern road. The main reward is water, the dam and mountain slopes in a compact outing; this is a gentle walk rather than a hill climb.
At the loch headThe open, lochside stretch is the most memorable part.
The open, lochside stretch is the most memorable part. The pale lodge known as The Sheiling sits across the water, with forested slopes and higher ridges behind it. Near the dam, the water and concrete wall give the route a more defined landmark. The dam and mountain backdrop make the strongest photo stop.
A village shaped by droversDalwhinnie sits at 351 metres and claims to be the highest village in the Scottish Highlands.
Dalwhinnie sits at 351 metres and claims to be the highest village in the Scottish Highlands. Its Gaelic name has several possible readings, including “meadow of the meeting place.” Two drovers' routes met here, and cattle were rested and watered by the loch before the difficult crossing of Drumochter Pass.
Start and footingStart at Dalwhinnie Village Hall.
Start at Dalwhinnie Village Hall. Expect pavement through the village before the wider estate tracks; the gradients are gentle. A car park is marked near the railway station, but its public-use details, capacity and fees are not given. The mapped loop crosses a railway line: use designated crossing points only and follow railway signs.
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.
