How to Experience Scotland's Right to Roam in Cairngorms National Park

Scotland’s Right to Roam

Unlike many countries where private land limits hikers, Scotland embraces a philosophy known as the Right to Roam, formally codified through the Land Reform Act of 2003. “Our right to roam allows people to responsibly access most privately owned land for recreation, provided they do so in a way that is reasonable and respectful of those who own or manage it," says Stevie Christie, managing director of Wilderness Scotland, a small-group adventure tour company based in Aviemore.

In practice, this means you won't find "NO TRESPASSING" signs blocking mountain passes, fenced ridgelines, or landowners closing off scenic viewpoints. Instead, Scotland relies on a culture of mutual respect outlined in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. "Most of it is really common sense where you close gates, keep dogs on leads near livestock, camp without leaving a trace, and give way to anglers on the river," Christie explained to me. "In exchange, our beautiful hills are yours to explore and wander anywhere."

Highlands Hikes & Detours

Hundreds of paths crisscross the Cairngorms National Park, and some follow century-old smuggler routes like the 6.8-mile Robbie Macpherson trail at the edge of Ballindalloch, a village on the park's northern edge. It meanders along open heather-filled hills up to the summit of 1,866-foot Carn Daimh, where panoramic views open onto the Cairngorm range, before descending close to the Glenlivet Distillery, the Highlands' oldest legal whiskey distillery. Not a bad spot for a post-summit dram. The hike is a good intro to Scottish hiking, but I quickly learned that marked trails are only part of the story up here. Off-trail walking is core to the culture. As an American, I couldn't help but scan the open hillsides and wonder just how far off the trail I was actually allowed to go without any repercussions.

One afternoon, we made an unscheduled stop to hike in Ballater, a charming Victorian village near Balmoral Castle, the Highland home of the British Royal family. Here, our 1.6-mile hike passed 11 cairns commissioned by Queen Victoria to commemorate members of the royal family, and ended at a viewpoint with unobstructed views of the castle in an idyllic setting of rolling green hills.

On another morning, when our original plans derailed because of unexpected weather—that's typical of springtime in Scotland—we explored Abernethy National Nature Reserve, a forested area surrounding the River Nethy, on the 2.8-mile Two Lochs Trail. Ending at the Loch Garden Nature Center, we observed a pair of nesting ospreys, a species that was brought back from the brink of extinction in one of Scotland’s greatest conservation success stories.

We also hiked a challenging 8-mile loop near Lochnagar along Glen Muick (a glen is a long deep valley surrounded by hills or mountains in Gaelic) while circumnavigating the beautiful Loch Muick, a journey that wends through ancient pine forest and past one of Queen Victoria’s hunting lodges. Towards the end of the hike, we took a quick off-trail detour up the mountain to observe a huge herd of red deer grazing among the rushes. So used to "Stay on Trail" norms, this freedom to adjust plans according to the weather, wildlife, and simple curiosity felt completely different and wildly liberating.

My favorite day, however, was on a 10-mile loop through Cuckoo Glen and the Devil's Punchbowl—a striking combination of rocky river and deep pools. Water tumbles through narrow rock channels before spilling into a mesmerizing swirling pool of stone and spray. It sits next to a stone cottage belonging to Queen Victoria, where she reportedly had afternoon tea regularly (the royals and wealthy landowners seem to own everything up here). In most other places I've hiked, such a place would be off-limits and inaccessible to anyone but the landowners. Our route also passed by old Caledonian forests full of birch, Scots pine, and rowan trees before skirting the edge of Linn of Dee, a natural gorge formed by the River Dee. With all our added off-trail side quests, the 10-mile route became 15.

Every so often, Cecilia Mariani, our guide, would point toward an inviting hill and ask in her simple way, "Shall we go there?" And then we'd make our way, letting the landscape guide our route without any signs warning us to stay back or face prosecution. We'd sidestep off-trail to find tiny carnivorous sundew plants glistening among sphagnum moss, hillsides covered in grey reindeer lichen or hidden lochans (smaller lakes) reflecting the surrounding mountains. The only sounds up there were of the wind sweeping across the glen and the occasional whistle of an oystercatcher.

When we finished our trek ahead of schedule, Mariani suggested yet another detour—a "dauner," as the Scots affectionately call a stroll. She led us to Mar Lodge Estate, one of Scotland's most important rewilding projects, where the National Trust for Scotland is reducing deer numbers to give the ancient Caledonian forests a chance to regenerate. Peeping through one of the many windows of the palatial estate house was like looking into a different era. Hallway after hallway was lined with mounted stag heads, a stark reminder of the area’s hunting past and a striking contrast to its present-day mission of restoration.

By the end of two weeks, my favorite moments weren’t from summiting hills like Carn Daimh but from all these unexpected and intriguing detours, all made possible by the Right to Roam. What surprised me more was how natural it felt to meander into the wild, once we started to do it. I realized how much I had internalized the idea that nature is only meant to be experienced along designated paths.

Some of that ease, I suspect, has as much to do with the land itself as with the law. Out on open moorland, you can see for miles in every direction, and it's hard to feel truly lost when the next ridge or the next glen is always in view. I did wonder if I’d truly feel half as bold wandering off-trail through dense, unfamiliar forest, or across bear country. Maybe the Right to Roam is as much a gift of Scotland's landscape as its legal code.

On more than one hike, I caught myself doing the math on whether this could ever work back home. Christie's words kept coming back to me on how Scots have always enjoyed the unwritten customary right to access, and the legislation simply strengthened this part of Scottish outdoor culture despite the country's long history of turbulent ownership. But in the US, our lands have been carved up, fenced, and are still being fought over. Standing on the hillside with nothing between me and the horizon, it was hard not to feel envious.

“The Highlands are full of beautiful little pockets of stunning ‘lifescapes’ that no one really visits or sees because it's not on a trail,” Christie says. “Slow down, wander off, get a little lost and discover the stories hidden beyond the path for yourself as long as you do it responsibly.”

How to Get to Cairngorms National Park

Cairngorms National Park and the Highlands are accessible by train (ScotRail) or buses (Citylink) from major cities like Inverness, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, all of which have airports with regular flights. The town of Aviemore is the park's main gateway on the northern side, while Braemar, another access town, lies on the south end of the park. Aviemore and Braemar are pedestrian-friendly towns, but if you want the freedom and flexibility to explore different areas of the park, then it's best to rent a car as public transport is limited.

Lodging & Camping

Accommodation in the Highlands ranges from guesthouses, hotels, and hostels in places like Aviemore to small hotels and self-catering cottages in villages like Braemar and Ballater. I stayed at Cranford Guest House in Braemar, where the decor of each room pays ode to the different clans of the area. In Aviemore, Rowan Tree Country Hotel along the banks of the clear waters of Loch Alvie gave me the perfect opportunity to indulge in a little wild swimming.

If you want to camp, then wild camping—pitching your tent anywhere—is legal throughout the Cairngorms thanks to the Outdoor Access Code. Just be sure to follow the rules and set up camp a few hundred meters from the road or main hiking paths and practice Leave No Trace.