Parking
The mapped start is by Kincraig Village Hall; the community-path leaflet marks car parking and a bus stop there.
Overview
About Lochside Loop, Kincraig
Why go
- Oakwood and a stretch of Loch Insh shore in a short loop
- A chance to look for wintering whooper swans
Heads up
- Rough, uneven grassy ground and short moderate slopes
- Part of the return follows village pavement
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation224–253 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 Lochside Loop, Kincraig, 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
Kincraig’s Lochside Loop0:00 / 0:22
“Kincraig is coming up, and the Lochside Loop is a good choice for an hour through oakwood and along Loch Insh. Start by the Village Hall and follow the circuit back through the village.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Swan Family’s First Crossing
- Loch Insh, Paddling and the Boathouse
- Feshiebridge and Frank Bruce’s Sculptures
- The Bird That Sounds Like Stones
- 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 Lochside Loop, Kincraig
The circuitStart by Kincraig Village Hall and follow the loop through the village and oakwood to Loch…
Start by Kincraig Village Hall and follow the loop through the village and oakwood to Loch Insh’s shore, returning on the paths and sidewalks across Kincraig. It’s a good choice for an hour by the loch without taking on the separate, much longer Feshiebridge–Uath Lochans walk. The published distance is 1½ miles (2.5 km); the complete closed route mapped here is about 1.7 miles (2.75 km), because the published route line leaves part of the village return out.
UnderfootExpect pavement in the village and grassy paths by the loch and through the woods.
Expect pavement in the village and grassy paths by the loch and through the woods. Some stretches are rough or uneven, with short moderate slopes, so the short distance doesn’t mean a fully smooth stroll.
Winter on the lochLoch Insh is one of the Cairngorms’ principal wintering places for whooper swans arriving from…
Loch Insh is one of the Cairngorms’ principal wintering places for whooper swans arriving from Iceland and Greenland. Look across the water in winter; they may be present, but sightings vary. Dogs are allowed. Keep them close, and short-leashed near nesting birds or livestock, especially from April through August.
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.
