Cairngorms Winter Walking Holiday – Snow, Skills & Summit Days
Experience a winter adventure in the Scottish Highlands on this small-group guided walking holiday based in the Cairngorms National Park. With daily walks led by a qualified Winter Mountain Leader, you’ll explore snow-covered landscapes, learn essential winter skills, and enjoy a memorable outdoor experience. No previous winter walking experience is needed, as you’ll be taught everything required, and essential kit such as crampons and ice axes are provided.
The Basics:
Duration: 5 nights
Accommodation: Hotel
Transport: Car-Free Trip
Group Size: Maximum 8
Pickup Location: Glasgow or Aviemore
Level: Tough (Winter) - no previous experience of winter walking is required, but you will need a good level of hill-walking fitness
Pricing & Accommodation: From £945 per person. Shared rooms, single rooms, twin rooms, and double rooms available - see booking calendar for specific dates and pricing.
The perfect opportunity to experience a UK winter walking holiday - exploring the Cairngorms National Park with a qualified and experienced guide to lead the way and teach you their top tips…
Tempted to get out walking when the mountains are dusted with snow? Our 5-night winter walking experience is based in Aviemore, right in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. You’ll join a small group (max 8) and a qualified Winter Mountain Leader to enjoy sociable days out exploring this stunning part of the Highlands.
This isn’t a technical skills course – it’s a friendly and supportive winter walking trip that includes learning the basics you’ll need for a safe and enjoyable day on snow-covered hills. With plenty of fresh air, sociable evenings, and the chance to build your confidence using specialist kit like crampons and ice axes, it’s the ideal introduction to winter mountain days.
No previous winter walking experience is needed – just a decent level of hill-walking fitness and the ability to spend up to 8 hours outdoors in cold conditions.
You'll be staying in a comfortable hotel in central Aviemore with breakfast provided each morning. In the evenings we head out to local restaurants and pubs (at your own expense) to refuel and relax.
A helmet, snow goggles, crampons and ice axe are provided for the duration of the experience but we do not provide or lend you crampon-compatible walking boots. You must bring your own or pre-arrange hire of them - please see the Compulsory Kit List section below.
Suggested Itinerary
Here’s what we’ve got planned - of course, we may have to offer alternatives or make amendments if the weather misbehaves or other unexpected situations arise!
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Arrive and check in from 15:00 at our hotel in central Aviemore. If you're hiring boots or other kit, you can collect it yourself or, if you're arriving by our minibus from Glasgow, we’ll make sure you get to the shop.
Pick-up from Glasgow city centre (10:00) or Glasgow International Airport (10:15) is available.
Once everyone’s arrived, we’ll head out for a relaxed evening meal together at a local pub or restaurant (not included).
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After a full cooked breakfast buffet, we’ll stop at a local shop for you to buy your own packed lunch.
Then it’s out onto the hills for a full day walk and introduction to winter walking – learning how to use crampons and an ice axe, how to assess terrain, and how to stay safe when conditions change. We’ll return to the hotel to relax before heading out for another sociable evening meal.
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Each day begins with a hearty cooked breakfast before we head out walking. We’ll choose routes to suit the group and the weather – always with safety as the top priority. Your leader will guide you through snowy terrain, pointing out winter features and building your confidence on the move.
Possible routes may include:
Cairn Gorm – A chance to reach the summit of one of the UK’s highest mountains.
Lurcher’s Crag – Offering spectacular views over Aviemore and the Lairig Ghru.
Sgor Gaoith – A dramatic peak with an impressive drop down to Loch Einich.
Glen Feshie – Known for its rich biodiversity and beautiful woodland.
After each day out, we’ll return to Aviemore to freshen up and enjoy a relaxed evening meal out together. You’re also welcome to self-cater if you prefer.
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After breakfast, we’ll enjoy a relaxed start to the morning with time in Aviemore — perhaps a coffee or a browse in the independent outdoor shops before we head out for one final Highland experience.
Today includes something genuinely unique to the Cairngorms and one of the few places in the UK where it’s possible — a visit to the local reindeer herd. We’ll head back into the hills for a guided walk to meet the herd, learning about their history in Scotland and the work involved in caring for them in this mountain environment.
You’ll have the chance to get up close and even hand-feed the reindeer, making for a memorable way to round off the trip.
Please note that this experience is weather dependent and may be cancelled at short notice if conditions are unsuitable.
Following the visit, we’ll begin our journey south. If you're using our return transport, we aim to be back in Glasgow between 16:00–17:00 (city centre or airport drop-off), depending on traffic and conditions.
Winter Walking vs Winter Skills
You’ll see lots of companies offering “Winter Skills” courses – typically these are intensive 2–5 day programmes focusing on technical skills and training.
This trip is different.
We focus on sociable winter walking. You’ll head out each day for a proper day walk in the mountains, led by an experienced Winter Mountain Leader who will show you the essentials for safe travel in winter conditions. That includes how to fit crampons, basic ice axe techniques, understanding snow conditions, and making good choices in cold weather.
The goal is to enjoy the mountain environment in winter – learning as we go, walking together, and having fun in a safe, supportive group.
Winter Walking Boot Advice
Essential Information
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Meeting Time:
This will depend on whether you’re taking advantage of our Glasgow Pickup service (see below), or making your own way to Aviemore.If you’re travelling independently to Aviemore, you can arrive at the accommodation any time from 15:00. Your Large Outdoors host will meet you at the accommodation when they arrive with the group from Glasgow.
Dinner will be booked around 7-8pm, so if you intend to arrive later than this please ensure you have something to eat on the way.
Accommodation Address - if making your own way to Aviemore:
Premier Inn Aviemore
Grampian Rd,
Aviemore
PH22 1PXPickups (Day 1):
When booking you can let us know which of the two Pickup locations below you’d like to be collected from.Glasgow City Centre (Hotel) 10am
Ibis Styles Glasgow Central, 116 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 7DN. Please note: a discount code for this hotel is available if you plan to stay in Glasgow the night before/after the trip - details will be shown on your booking confirmation email.Glasgow International Airport 10:15am
Pick-up & Drop-off area located outside the main terminal building in Car Park 2.Returning to Glasgow (Day 6):
If you are taking advantage of our Pickup service, we will also return you to Glasgow on the final day. We aim to be back in Glasgow between 3-5pm and can drop you back in the city centre or at the airport. Please book onward travel accordingly, to allow for flexibility with the return time to the city centre or airport - we (sadly!) can’t control the traffic. -
Accommodation Address:
Premier Inn Aviemore
Grampian Rd,
Aviemore
PH22 1PXRoom Types:
You can book one of the following options, subject to availability:
Sole Occupancy Double Room (en-suite) one person in their own private room.
Shared Rooms, where you’ll be sharing a twin room with two single beds, these rooms are en-suite.
Twin Rooms - with single beds - which sleep up to two participants booking together again en-suite.
Double Rooms - one double bed for two participants booking together again these rooms are en-suite. -
Please see our Winter Walking Kit List.
The compulsory items are selected for your safety, which is of paramount importance to us at Large Outdoors. Each participant should have the items listed.
A helmet, snow goggles, crampons and ice axe are provided for the duration of the experience but we DO NOT provide or lend you suitable winter and crampon-compatible - known as B-rated - walking boots.
You must bring your own B-rated boots or pre-arrange hire of them, which is available from a number of outdoor kit specialists.
We suggest hiring from Tiso Aviemore Outdoor Experience as we can pop over there with you when we arrive in Aviemore. Please ensure you book any hire items for collection on Day 1 of the trip and return on Day 6 of the trip!You can also hire B-rated boots online from OutdoorHire for delivery to your home ahead of the trip. You’ll receive a 10% discount code for boot hire from OutdoorHire when booking on this trip.
See John’s video below for more information about B-rated boots.
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Included:
Pickup from and return back to Glasgow - see the Meeting Location & Time section above.
Travel from the accommodation to activity start points and back, where they don’t start from the door.
5 nights’ hotel accommodation.
Cooked breakfast buffet each morning.
A Large Outdoors host/guide to welcome you, deal with meal preparation and logistics for your experience.
Guided walks on 5 days (Days 2-6).
Training in the use of crampons and ice axe, and skills for walking safely and confidently in mountain environments in the winter.
Helmet, snow goggles, crampons and ice axe for the duration of the experience.
Bedding and a towel - but don’t forget your own toiletries.
The chance to make new friends and meet like-minded people - Large Outdoors is all about making outdoor adventures sociable.
Pre-event support from the Large Outdoors team - give us a shout if there’s any advice or information you need and check out our Blog for useful articles too.
Not Included:
Travel to and from the meeting location.
B-rated boots - you must bring your own or pre-arrange hire - see the Compulsory Kit List section above.
Packed lunches - we will have the chance to visit a supermarket or bakery each morning.
Dinner each evening - we’ll have a table booked at the accommodation to enjoy dinner as a group and you can purchase whatever you fancy from the menu available.
Any extra (i.e. not mentioned above in ‘Included’) excursions or activities that you may partake in which incur a cost.
Alcoholic drinks - there is a bar on site so please don’t bring your own drinks.
Any food, drinks or goods you choose to purchase at any shops, restaurant, pubs or cafés visited.
Travel/activity insurance - we recommend having insurance to cover, at a minimum: cancellation and curtailment; medical and emergency expenses (including repatriation); personal accident; injury and death.
Cairngorms in Winter
The Cairngorms sit high in the eastern Highlands of Scotland, forming the largest area of high ground in Britain. Easily reached from Inverness and Aberdeen, this is big mountain country — wide horizons, long ridgelines and serious winter conditions. Ben Macdui, the UK’s second highest mountain, rises from a vast granite plateau that, in winter, feels closer to Scandinavia than mainland Britain.
When snow settles across the plateau, the landscape transforms. Broad paths disappear, summits take on a sharper edge and the simplest route demands care, judgement and the right skills. It’s this combination of scale and accessibility that makes the Cairngorms such an ideal setting for winter walking — challenging, but manageable with good guidance and preparation.
The Cairngorms National Park stretches well beyond the central massif, reaching south towards Lochnagar, west to the Drumochter Pass and north to the Monadhliath Mountains. Yet it’s the central plateau that defines the experience: a sweeping granite dome shaped by ice and weather. The altitude and climate create near-Arctic conditions, supporting rare plants, mountain hare, ptarmigan and hardy birdlife that thrive in the cold.
In winter, this is a place of crisp air, firm snow underfoot, and the steady rhythm of crampons on frozen ground — a landscape that rewards patience, teamwork and steady progress towards snowy summit days.
Booking Calendar!
Booking FAQ’s
Can I book with a deposit?
Yes, if the trip is more than 12 weeks away you can secure your place with a 20% deposit. The balance is due no later than 10 weeks before travel. You will receive a series of reminder emails when the balance is due. If the trip is less than 12 weeks away, the full balance is due at the time of booking.
Can I pay in instalments?
Yes – although our system doesn't have a function to do this automatically. If you'd like to split your payments, simply email us (hello@largeoutdoors.com) when you'd like to make a payment. Please don't forget to tell us how much you'd like to pay off the balance and your order number. We'll then send you an email with a secure online payment link.
This map is provided for guidance regarding the general location. For detailed meeting information, please refer to the 'Meeting Time & Location' section.