First Time Guide

Our Guide to Cairngorm Mountain for First Timers

The Cairngorm Mountain resort is located on Scotland’s 6th highest mountain offering unforgettable snowsports and picturesque panoramic views. Situated in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park it is much more than just a ski area with year-round activities and access to some of the most spectacular hill walking and climbing routes Scotland has to offer. 

Top Tips for First Timers

1. Arrive Early

Arrive early to ensure you can find a space in the upper car park, car parking is on a first-come first-serve basis and once our car parks are full we cannot accommodate anyone else.

2. Get the Bus

Hop on the regular public bus from Aviemore to Cairngorm Mountain, stopping at our front door. Head to the Stagecoach website and search for route number 30 Aviemore to Cairngorm for the most updated service information.

3. Make Sure You’ve Pre-booked

Make sure you’ve pre-booked lift passes through our web-shop and bring your confirmation printed or with you on your mobile device ready for collecting your passes on arrival. Passes can be picked up from the Ticket Office or from one of our SKIDATA kiosks located in the base station.

4. Bring Spare Cash

Bring spare cash there is no ATM at the resort, we accept card payments in all of our facilities.

5. Keep Your Passes On the Left

Keep your ticket on the left of your body and not in a pocket shared with any other cards or with a mobile phone. The new snowsports tickets come with an electronic chip in them, which will allow customers to pass through the scanner at entry points to uplift on the mountain.

6. Go Through One by One

Go through one by one at the gates at the tows. If you crowd through them they will jam so please move through steadily.

7. Keep An Eye On Social Media

Visit our Facebook Page and Mountain Report – our phone lines get very busy during the winter season, with many callers requesting information which is easily found online. Check out the conditions pages which give up-to-date snow/road reports and webcam photos. Our Facebook page is updated simultaneously with the same information. The information which appears on the website/Facebook is the most up to date available – if it has not been updated for some time that means there is no change.

8. Check In for Equipment Rental Early

Please ensure you purchase your lift pass from the ticket office before proceeding to our Equipment Rental Department. Check in for equipment rental as early as possible on arrival – enter equipment rental through the main door on the left of the day lodge and follow guidance from our rentals team to collect your equipment.

9. Avoid the Lunch Queues

Eat early or late to avoid café and restaurant queues! Our facilities can become incredibly busy during peak times.

Get to Know Cairngorm Mountain

If it’s your first time visiting Cairngorm then here is some useful information to help you get to know the place.

Remember to check out our piste map.

Elevation

• Summit: 1245 m | 4085 ft
• Ski Area Base: 640 m | 2099 ft
• Ski Area Peak: 1155 m | 3789 ft

Access

• Take B970 from Aviemore
• Follow signs for Glenmore
• Join ski road from Glenmore

Terrain

Green | Easy

• 13 Runs
• 40% of Overall Terrain

Blue | Intermediate

• 10 Runs
• 30% of Overall Terrain

Red | Difficult

• 6 Runs
• 20% of Overall Terrain

Black | Expert

• 2 Runs
• 10% of Overall Terrain

Surface Lifts

• Snowbadger Lower Magic Carpet – 100m
• Snowbadger Upper Magic Carpet – 100m
• Fiacaill Ridge Poma – 1030m
• Day Lodge Poma – 792m
• Sunkid Tow – 296m
• Coire Cas T-Bar – 1061m
• M1 Poma – 805m
• Ptarmigan T-Bar – 521m
• Coire Na Ciste T-Bar – 828m
• Polar Express Trainer Lift – 122m
• West Wall Poma – 1640m
• Car Park T-Bar – 800m
• Funicular Railway (currently out of service)

Next Steps

Now you’ve got familiar with the resort see what the next steps in your journey are.

BUY DAY PASSES EQUIPMENT HIRE  VIEW OUR PISTE MAP