This scenic mountain route is a worthy NC500 rival

Snow in the Cairngorms

Snow Cairngorm Ski Centre

I’m about to tell you something you already know.

You aren’t guaranteed to find snow anywhere in the UK.

But according the Met Office the Cairngorm Mountains (or more specifically the Cairngorm Chairlift weather station) is the snowiest location in the UK, with an average of 76 days with falling snow a year (this is from a now rather old data set between 1981 and 2010). That might sound like a lot of snowy days but even in Scotland, it’s pretty tricky to predict exactly when those days might be.

I’ve visited the Cairngorms in May and October and seen snow on the mountains both times.

Which I’m guessing, is why the Snow Roads scenic driving route was given its name.

 

Where is the Snow Roads driving route?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’ve travelled between Aviemore on the west side of the Cairngorm’s National Park and Braemar on the east side, the chances are you’ve driven at least some of the Snow Roads route.

Unless you’ve walked (which is a hefty hike).

Or cycled through the Lairig Ghru (which, according to Mr D is a hefty hike carrying a bike).

Officially this 90-mile super hilly route starts in Blairgowrie, which is just south of the Cairngorms National Park and ends in Grantown-on-Spey. It’s stunning in any weather and even the scenery getting to the start of the route is fantastic.

When’s best to drive the Snow Roads?

Forgive me if this sounds silly, but even with a 4X4 campervan like ours, you don’t want to try driving this route in the snow. There’s one good reason for this.

And it’s not to do with your super-capable vehicle.

Several of the roads on this road trip have snow gates. Which means that the roads are closed in proper snowy weather. Which means you won’t be able to travel. Road closures in Scotland.

But like I said, the Cairngorms have snow in autumn and spring as well.

 

Did we see snow in autumn?

We completed our Snow Roads trip in October 2025, in our trusty but not-that-big campervan Greta. We took our time, camping in a selection of nearly-wild camping locations and campsites as we went. On our way we visited:

2 ski centres (we camped at one)

1 royal castle (car park camping permitted but we didn’t)

3 fantastic coffee locations (this was our favourite)

3 roadside art installations (with stunning views)

Some very expensive whisky (in Tomintoul)

The best dog friendly campsite ever (it had rabbits!)

But for almost the whole route it looked as though we weren’t going to see any snow.

We saw plenty of liquid snow (aka rain), which meant that this was probably the wettest campervan trip we’ve ever had but there were some sunny days too. And it was on one of these, as we drove up the road towards Tomintoul, that we spotted snow on the mountains above Aviemore. There was more than a dusting but not enough to reach down the valleys, as a result, we knew we were in for a treat when we got to our regular campsite (and drove up the road to the Cairngorm Ski Centre car park).

I wasn’t disappointed.

Glenmore Forest Campsite has secluded forest pitches right next to the beach at Loch Morlich. The mountain views from the beach are fabulous and I’ve been known to swim in the loch there whilst admiring snow on the peaks.

Because it’s so ideally situated for both exploring and staring at the views, Glenmore isn’t the cheapest campsite in the Cairngorms National Park but the welcome is always warm and the facilities are excellent. If you’re visiting in the summer, you need to book early.

Camping locations on the Snow Roads scenic route

Although wild camping in a campervan is far easier in Scotland than it is in England, it’s worth remembering that there is no legal right to wild camp if you’re in a vehicle (this also applies to roof tents and car camping). On this trip we did wild camp in a reservoir car park once on our way up to start the route but we choose not too along the route itself because there were plenty of campsite and paid overnight car park options (and we prefer and can usually afford to support local economies as we travel).

Here’s where we van-camped on (and near) the Snow Roads scenic route:

• Location – Glenshee Ski Centre
• Cost per night – £8 (no electric) £15 (electric)
• Type – car park
• Toilets – 24-hours
• Electric – yes
• Cafe – yes
• Attractions – ski lifts

• Location – Braemar Caravan Park
• Cost per night – £30 (low season)
• Type – campsite
• Toilets – 24-hours (and a fabulous drying room)
• Electric – yes (pay as you use)
• Cafe – no (shop yes)
• Attractions – walks all round

• Location – Cambus o’May Forest (Stay the Night Scheme)
• Cost per night – £10
• Type – forest car park
• Toilets – no (self-contained only)
• Electric – no (it’s very dark)
• Cafe – no (but great views)
• Attractions – plenty of trees, forest walks

• Location – Glenmore Campsite
• Cost per night – £38 (non-electric), £48 (electric)
• Type – campsite
• Toilets – yes (fabulous but no drying room)
• Electric – yes
• Cafe – yes (the Pine Marten bar)
• Attractions – walking, watersports, cycling

Is it worth visiting the Snow Roads art installations?

Absolutely yes. There are currently (2025) three official art installations along the Snow Roads but if you keep your eyes open, you’ll find another at Glenshee Ski Centre and two for one just above Corgarff Castle.

Connecting Contours – Devil’s Elbow, Glenshee

It’s easy to miss the small car park for this low impact art installation but turn round and go back if you do. Outdoor art that includes the opportunity to sit and contemplate is always a hit with me and this installation does just that. It has a stunning view down the valley and, for map lovers, beautiful contour maps of the surrounding hills. I could have looked at them for hours.

The Watchers – Corgarff Castle

Functional art is another favourite of mine and these clever modernistic metal pods were certainly that on the blustery day I visited. Studying snowy views from windy hilltops can be a chilly business but seated inside one of the pods, I was completely sheltered from the bite and noise of the wind. It was so cold, I didn’t stop to look through the holes of the Moment in Time stone but I did admire it’s poetry.

Still – Tomintoul

Interactive art. You guessed it, I’m a fan of that too. On the day we visited, Still was acting as a wind tunnel and might more aptly have been named ‘Disturbance’ but that didn’t detract from the experience of climbing the small hill to stand inside its view-reflecting mirrors and try (but fail) to get the perfect mirror/view/person photo.

Are the Snow Roads a better route than the NC500?

I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy both of these iconic Scotland driving routes and I find that question very difficult to answer. Comparing them is a bit like comparing haggis to shortbread. Both are undisputedly Scottish, both are delicious but you’d only serve one with gravy. I loved the NC500 for its long, lonely roads, stunning coastline and wonderful light quality but I also loved the Snow Roads route because of its mountain scenery, sense of adventure and situation inside the Cairngorms National Park.

I hope to drive both of them (or at least sections) again. To be honest I can’t get enough of either.