Parking
Begin at Station Square in Boat of Garten. The local paths map marks a village car park beside the Community Hall nearby; its fees and capacity are not listed.
Overview
About Salmon Trail, Boat of Garten
Why go
- A compact loop with a riverside stretch and a village start
Heads up
- The opening leg follows a village road and crosses the railway
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation207–240 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 Salmon Trail, Boat of Garten, 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
Boat of Garten and the Spey0:00 / 0:27
“Boat of Garten is ahead, a good village stop if you'd like a meal and some time beside the Spey.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Garten Woods and the Two Lochs
- The Jay’s Hidden Oaks
- The Boat in Boat of Garten
- A Crown Among the Needles
- 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 Salmon Trail, Boat of Garten
A short village loopSalmon Trail is a 2.5-mile circular walk from Station Square in Boat of Garten.
Salmon Trail is a 2.5-mile circular walk from Station Square in Boat of Garten. It follows Kinchurdy Road to the edge of the village, crosses the Strathspey Railway, reaches the River Spey, then returns through the local golf course. Allow about one hour. This is a compact village-and-river walk, not a mountain hike; the route is officially rated moderate.
Road, crossing and tracksThe first leg uses a quiet village road.
The first leg uses a quiet village road. Beyond it, expect a forest track, a gate crossing and farm track rather than a smooth surfaced path throughout. The railway crossing is the part to take most carefully; use the marked crossing.
Along the Spey and backThe route follows the River Spey before turning through the golf course to complete the circuit.
The route follows the River Spey before turning through the golf course to complete the circuit. Keep dogs on a lead near livestock. If you want a short walk with a clear start and finish in the village, this fits well; choose a hill route for a more strenuous day.
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.
