Parking
Start at Hayfield Car Park (PH22 1QY), the access named for Pine Knoll Trail. Parking is paid.
Overview
About Pine Knoll Trail
Why go
- Twisted old pines give the short loop a clear character.
- Wood ants and summer dragonflies add small things to look for.
Heads up
- Loose, uneven patches can be muddy after rain.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation320–344 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 Pine Knoll 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 trailhead
Hayfield and Pine Knoll0:00 / 0:24
“Hayfield car park is ahead, a handy stop for a short walk among twisted old pines. Follow the white waymarks for the Pine Knoll loop, taking about forty-five minutes, with a few slopes and steps.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Allt Mòr and the Lodge Trail
- Cairngorm Reindeer Centre
- Glenmore and the Green Lochan
- Glenmore Lodge and Ryvoan Pass
- 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 Pine Knoll Trail
A short circuit beneath old pinesPine Knoll is a waymarked loop from Hayfield Car Park through mature pine woods near Loch…
Pine Knoll is a waymarked loop from Hayfield Car Park through mature pine woods near Loch Morlich. The circuit is listed at about 1¼ miles (2.2 km) and takes roughly 45 minutes. It is a short woodland outing rather than a hill day, with twisted old pines and small forest habitats to look for along the way.
The path and its paceThe route is generally flat, with a few moderate slopes and one short flight of steps.
The route is generally flat, with a few moderate slopes and one short flight of steps. Its surface is firm gravel and earth, though some sections are loose or uneven and can be muddy after rain. Follow the white waymarks at the junctions; the circuit shares its access path to and from Hayfield. The manager grades it moderate, so expect a little roughness despite the short distance.
Look under the canopyThe old pine trees twist above the path.
The old pine trees twist above the path. Wood ants build nests on the dry slopes, and dragonflies dart beneath the canopy around forest pools in summer. This is a walk to take at woodland pace, scanning the ground and trees as you go rather than hurrying toward a single viewpoint.
Starting at HayfieldBegin at Hayfield Car Park, the access named for the trail. Parking is paid.
Begin at Hayfield Car Park, the access named for the trail. Parking is paid. Dogs are allowed; from 1 April to 31 August, use a lead wherever requested to protect ground-nesting birds.
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.
