Parking
Use Ardvonie Car Park in central Kingussie. The path starts near the information board and public toilets; parking fees and capacity were not established.
Overview
About Tom Baraidh
Why go
- Waymarked forest loop close to central Kingussie
- Pine woodland and views over the town
- Optional extension to the Raitts township site
Heads up
- Narrow, rough and rocky sections
- A golf-course junction and short local-road links need attention
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation241–305 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 Tom Baraidh, 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
Kingussie and Creag Bheag0:00 / 0:22
“You're nearing Ardvonie car park in Kingussie, the starting point for Creag Bheag. Choose this for a hilltop view over the town and Spey valley, with a stone shelter where you can sit at the summit.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Siege That Ruthven Survived
- Ruthven Barracks after Culloden
- Insh Marshes at Invertromie
- Highland Folk Museum
- 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 Tom Baraidh
The loopFrom Ardvonie Car Park in central Kingussie, this waymarked circuit circles the plantation…
From Ardvonie Car Park in central Kingussie, this waymarked circuit circles the plantation woodland beside the golf course and climbs for views over town. The Authority lists 3 miles (5 km); the connected mapped loop measures about 3.4 miles. Allow about two hours.
Footing and wayfindingExpect varied forest paths, some narrow, rough and rocky but usually dry, with short moderate…
Expect varied forest paths, some narrow, rough and rocky but usually dry, with short moderate climbs. The official map flags a path junction beside the golf course, so watch for the waymarks there. The mapped return includes paved links and short stretches on local streets. Public toilets and an information board are near the car park start; parking fees and capacity were not established.
Raitts and the longer circuitThe optional Raitts route adds a further 1 mile (1.
The optional Raitts route adds a further 1 mile (1.5 km) one way through fields and juniper woodland to an old township site. It is outside the saved loop. The separate 4.5-mile Kingussie circuit also includes Creag Bheag and West Terrace; do not use its longer distance or summit description for this walk.
DogsNo trail-specific dog restriction was found.
No trail-specific dog restriction was found. Dogs can use Scotland’s responsible access rights when kept under proper control, especially around wildlife and livestock.
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.
