Parking
Start at Glenmore Visitor Centre on the B970 just beyond Loch Morlich. The car park is chargeable and operated by Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust; Forestry and Land Scotland parking passes are not accepted.
Overview
About Ryvoan Trail
Why go
- A vivid green lochan beneath pale scree and scattered pines
- Mostly smooth gravel forest track
- A Norwegian resistance memorial at the start
Heads up
- Short steep pitches add effort to the otherwise steady walk
- One road crossing and a brief roadside section
Plan on 3.5 miles (5.8 km) total, an out-and-back from Glenmore Visitor Centre to An Lochan Uaine and back, and allow 2½ hours. This is a moderate forest walk with a memorable lochan at the far end. Most of the way is on smooth gravel track, but the route undulates and has a few short, steeper climbs and descents. Follow the blue-bar Ryvoan Trail for the walk described here. The high-level circuit that adds Ryvoan Bothy is a separate, longer option; its miles are not part of this out-and-back.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation335–453 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Cairngorms alerts
- ClosureGlenmore wildfire closures and dangerous treesMentions this trailWildfire damage has closed Allt Mor car park and the path to Sugarbowl/Utsi’s Bridge; keep out of the closed area.Official details
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cairngorms Tour Guide
Your drive to Ryvoan 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
Glenmore and the Green Lochan0:00 / 0:31
“You're approaching Glenmore Visitor Centre, a starting point for the walk to An Lochan Uaine, the Green Lochan.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Cairngorm Reindeer Centre
- Loch Morlich Beach
- Hayfield and Pine Knoll
- 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 Ryvoan Trail
Through the pinewoodFrom the visitor centre, the signed route crosses a road and heads into the forest.
From the visitor centre, the signed route crosses a road and heads into the forest. Expect mainly firm, gravelled track and gentle rises, with a handful of steeper pitches. One road crossing and a short stretch beside the road call for care. As the trees thin near the lochan, the route reaches a stony path and steps down to the water and its viewing area. The return follows the same corridor to the visitor centre, so remember that the easy-looking descent will be a climb on the way back.
The green lochanAn Lochan Uaine means “the Green Lochan.”
An Lochan Uaine means “the Green Lochan.” Sunlight reflecting minerals in the rocks around and beneath the water gives it its green tint; the colour can look stronger in good light. From the viewing area, frame the water with the pale scree slope and scattered pines, then use the steps for a closer view from the shore. Local folklore offers a different explanation: fairies wash their green clothes here at night.
An old wood growing backThis walk passes through ancient Caledonian pine and birch woodland.
This walk passes through ancient Caledonian pine and birch woodland. Around the lochan, native trees have spread back up the hillside as grazing pressure has eased and non-native trees have been removed; willow, rowan and birch grow among the pines. Red squirrels live in the woods. Pause to listen for movement in the branches or the sound of a squirrel opening a pine cone, but treat a sighting as a bonus rather than a promise.
A wartime marker at the startNear the visitor-centre approach, a Norwegian resistance memorial and flag recall the fighters…
Near the visitor-centre approach, a Norwegian resistance memorial and flag recall the fighters who trained in Glenmore during the Second World War. The group became known as Kompani Linge, after an early commander. A small team from the unit later carried out Operation Gunnerside, the 1943 raid on Norway’s Vemork hydro plant that disrupted heavy-water production. It is worth stopping at the memorial before setting off.
Start and practical detailsGlenmore Visitor Centre is on the B970 just beyond Loch Morlich.
Glenmore Visitor Centre is on the B970 just beyond Loch Morlich. Its car park is chargeable and operated by Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust; Forestry and Land Scotland parking passes are not accepted there. A café and toilets are at the visitor centre, though the toilets are available only when the café is open. Dogs are allowed. From 1 April to 31 August, keep dogs on a lead where 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.
