Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Choose your own nature adventure at Cairngorms Nature Festival

The environment extravaganza that will give you the inspiration you need.

parents, child experience Cairngorms Nature Festival
© CNPA / Rachel Keenan

Connect with the wild side of the Cairngorms by taking part in the Cairngorms Nature Festival from May 12 to 21 2023.

It’s easy to forget what spectacular and important wildlife we have right on our doorstep.

Here in Scotland, we have the Cairngorms National Park, the largest and one of the most diverse national parks in the UK. With land area that covers 6% of Scotland, it has some of the cleanest rivers, largest woodland and the highest peaks in the UK.

It’s also home to more than 25% of the UK’s rare and endangered species, like the pine hoverfly and freshwater pearl mussel.

Cairngorms Nature Festival: engaging with nature

staff members guide children during one of the activities under Cairngorms Nature Festival
Cairngorms Nature Festival is meant to celebrate the national park. © CNPA / Rachel Keenan

The Cairngorms National Park is definitely a special place that needs to be celebrated to inspire more people to take care of the rest of our planet.

That’s why “The BIG Weekend” of previous years has been expanded into the Cairngorms Nature Festival, a 10-day environment extravaganza from May 12 to 21. It’s packed with events all across the national park and even online.

“We want to invite people to come and experience the national park, learn about our amazing wildlife and have their own nature experience, whatever stage of nature journey they’re on,” says Sarah Henshall, head of conservation at the Cairngorms National Park Authority.

Cairngorms Nature Festival: for all ages and abilities

mother and child explore local pond during Cairngorms Nature Festival
There’s something for everyone at the Cairngorms Nature Festival and about half of the events are free. © CNPA / Rachel Keenan

The great news is around half of the events are free, many are family and dog friendly and there are also a number of wheelchair accessible events on the programme.

Sarah adds: “The key thing about the Festival is that there’s something for everybody, from a family with young children who might be new to exploring nature, to the more seasoned nature watcher who wants to experience something new.”

So start planning your nature adventure, whether you’re dipping into the Park for a day, a weekend away or even a week.

Here are just some of the more than 80 Festival activities:

Can’t-miss events at this year’s Cairngorms Nature Festival

1. The Superpowers of Minibeasts: Self-Led Trail

Here’s a great activity for your little one who may be curious to know how bees talk to each other or find out what colour a slug’s blood is. It’s free and doesn’t require a booking. All you need to do is to follow the beach trail at the Glenmore Forest Park Visitor Centre from May 12 to 21.

2. Pond Dipping and Wildlife Scavenger Hunt

Go on a scavenger hunt on May 13 to discover the local wildlife in Milton Loch, including roe deer and birds like mallards, tufted ducks and herons. You can even take a dip in the nearby pond to spot some amphibians and invertebrates.

3. River Spey Canoe Tour

See the picturesque River Spey from a different perspective – from your canoe! Gently paddle down the river and enjoy a relaxing guided tour of the natural surroundings, which include the breathtaking Cairngorm peaks.

4. Strathspey Storywalks: Story Safari

Discover local legends linked to nature and the landscape around Glenmore in a gentle walk over 1.5 miles. Hunt for creatures both real and mythical, discover edible and useful plants, hear fantastical stories, and taste wild foraged tea.

5. In a New Light

On May 17 at Glenbuchat Hall, writer Merryn Glover and musician Hamish Napier take us into new revelations of the Cairngorm mountains with Nan Shepherd as a muse and guide. Readings from Glover’s The Hidden Fires: A Cairngorms Journey with Nan Shepherd are woven together with Napier’s locally-inspired music.

6. Birds for Beginners

young and old take part in Cairngorms Nature Festival
Learn more about nature from the experts at Cairngorms Nature Festival. © CNPA / Rachel Keenan

Want to be a twitcher? Hurry and book your place for this event at Glen Tilt Car Park, Blair Atholl on May 14! You’ll join an estates ranger who will teach budding bird watchers how to recognize fowl by sight and sound.

7. Handcycling for adults with a disability

Go on a fun handcycle ride as you follow the scenic trails in the national park. This one’s for disabled adults but family and friends are welcome. It’s free to join this May 13 event at the Badaguish Outdoor Centre. You won’t even need to pay to hire a handcycle!

8. Give back to nature – volunteering

Join the National Trust for Scotland Rangers to carry out important tree conservation on Britain’s largest National Nature Reserve at Mar Lodge Estate, Braemar.

9. The Woods: Concert, Ceilidh and Cocktails

Enjoy dinner and drinks while listening to an intimate evening concert. Then kick off your heels and dance the night away to music inspired by Scotland’s woodlands. Make sure to book ahead of this event at Kincraig Community Hall on May 20.

10. Online Talk: Beautiful and Unique Plants of the Cairngorms

You don’t need to visit some of the British Isles’ high-altitude environments. Simply attend this free online talk on May 14 to discover the park’s beautiful meadow flowers, rare fungi and hidden pinewood.


Don’t miss out on all the new events! Keep checking Cairngorms Nature Festival’s website.