In August I had a glorious week of camping in the Highlands at Glenmore campsite near Aviemore; the sun was shining, the hills were looking mighty impressive and the midges were out in full swing.
Glenmore campsite is owned by the Camping in the Forest group which has a few campsites across the UK. I really love their campsites as their location is great and it feels like you are wild camping except that there’s decent toilets and showers.
Arriving at the campsite, I didn’t expect it to be as big as it was. Our pitch had a sandy base which meant we weren’t putting our tent on soggy grass and there was more than enough space.
Another surprise was that there’s a beach pretty much on our doorstep. Walking from the campsite, you are surrounded by Forestry Commission Sites meaning you can go for a wander but still be close by to the site.
At the beach, there’s a little hut hiring canoes and rowing boats at the bottom and whipping up cakes and traybakes at the top. With free wifi, it’s a great spot for soaking up the sun and checking in with people back home.
Next door to the campsite is a gem of a pub that really made this campsite special. Called the Pine Marten Bar, this little place has a great stock of alcohol and on some nights during the summer, has bands and singers set up camp in their bustling bar for a few singsongs.
If you ever ran out of tealights, needed some extra tent pegs, fancied a Pot Noodle or couldn’t put up with itchy midgie bites any longer, the shop attached to the bar had you covered.
Glenmore campsite is across the road from the Glentress Visitor Centre, Cairngorms Reindeer Centre and near a stretch of land where you can go grass sledging and do some archery.
If you don’t have a car, you wouldn’t be stuck with things to do at the campsite. Aviemore can be reached via a 5-mile footpath and there are lots of spots along the loch to admire the views. I also spotted a bus stop just outside the Pine Marten Bar. Sometimes when you go camping, you can feel like you’re confined to the area however with this campsite, I felt the complete opposite.
The people who work at the campsite were all really lovely and let us get on with enjoying our holiday. I want to go back again!
Where is Glenmore Campsite?
Glenmore campsite is to the east of Aviemore. It’s in a fantastic location where you are close to a town but you also feel like you’re in the forest – one of the best campsites I’ve been to.