Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE CAIRNGORMS
in Britain - a broad mountain plateau, riven only by the deep valleys of the Lairig Ghru and
Loch Avon, with an average altitude of over 1000m and including five of the six highest
summits in the UK. This wild mountain landscape of granite and heather has a sub-Arctic
climate and supports rare alpine tundra vegetation and high-altitude bird species, such as
snow bunting, ptarmigan and dotterel.
The harsh mountain environment gives way lower down to scenic glens softened by
beautiful open forests of native Scots pine, home to rare animals and birds such as pine
martens, wildcats, red squirrels, ospreys, capercaillies and crossbills.
This is prime hill-walking territory, but even couch potatoes can enjoy a taste of the high
life by taking the Cairngorm Mountain Railway up to the edge of the Cairngorm plateau.
Detour:
John O'Groats
Though it's not the northernmost point of the British mainland (that's Dunnet Head), John O'Groats still serves as the
end point of the 874-mile trek from Land's End in Cornwall, a popular if arduous route for cyclists and walkers, many
of whom raise money for charitable causes. There's a passenger ferry from here to Orkney (
Click here
)
, and the set-
tlement's spectacular setting is some consolation for the disappointment of finding that this famous destination is ba-
sically a car park surrounded by tourist shops.
Two miles east,
Duncansby Head
provides a more solemn end-of-Britain moment, with a small lighthouse and
60m-high cliffs sheltering nesting fulmars. A 15-minute walk from here through a sheep paddock yields spectacular
views of the sea-surrounded monoliths known as
Duncansby Stacks
.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search