UKC

I have done a lot of wild camping and hillwalking in North Wales but am thinking of venturing into the Cairngorms in the next week fews for my first taste of Scotland

I was wondering if anyone has any tips as to where I can leave my car over night for a few days whilst im off walking? I was thinking about somewhere in the Glenmore area?


Cheers

In reply to zakmacro:

There's a large layby in glenmore that should be fine. Further up the road there are the sugarbowl and cairngorm car parks. I have never found parking to be an issue around there really.

In reply to davidbeynon:

hey David, this might seem like a really stupid question but im going to ask anyway: do the car parks cost money? (im used to leaving my car in laybys in wales)


cheers

In reply to zakmacro:

Plenty parking at Glenmore near the Reindeer centre. Avoid the sugar bowl and the other Forestry Commission car parks as they now charge (though who exacty is using them with so much free parking nearby is mystifying). Plenty parking also available at the Coire na Ciste car park halfway up the ski road. The main ski car park is free but Cairngorm Mountain ask for a "donation" - I don't know anyone who pays. Bear in mind if you leave your car there for a few days someone might alert mountain rescue, but you can always tell the Polis in Aviemore what you are up to (don't forget to tell them when you're back safe and sound).

In reply to zakmacro:

Looks like the sugarbowl has started charging (it didn't last time I parked there), but the layby in Glenmore is free.

In reply to Removed Userrabthecairnterrier:

If you leave your car at the ski centre, the ranger base like it if you leave info with them. They have a form for it, and really nice and helpful

In reply to zakmacro:

Sugar Bowl and others are £2.00 a day, or were in March! Like they say leave it at the ski center and you can leave a route card etc with the ranger station, Note that doesn't make the rangers your "responsable person" back home, just extra back up. Glenmore laybye is good if your heading east or valley walking, Ski center/sugar bowl if your heading over the plato/summits

In reply to zakmacro:

I left my van at Glenmore, it got reported as I'd left some high heels in the front and apparently lots of men dress as woman right before they go off into the hills to commite suicide.. So if leaving it there for a while I'd let police know or somat!

In reply to annie le:

Similar thing happened to us, we parked up at the Ski Centre, put down the make and model of the car on the form we left at the ranger station, with the first few letters of the reg plate and the police came knocking on my friends door, who wasn't there, he was snow holing with me.