🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 New Year in the Highlands: Cairngorms, Loch Ness & Reindeer

This trip is limited to 13 participants, so book early! Once it's full, we won't be able to add more places – accommodation is limited, and the long journey and late nights (including New Year's Eve) need two professional drivers in one vehicle to comply with PSV drivers' hours regulations.

We’ve created a list of FAQs to help answer your questions.

We're spending New Year in Scotland! This 5-day trip is the perfect way to end 2026 and welcome 2027 – Highland-style 🦌 ☃️ 🥃. Based in Aviemore, in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, you'll meet Britain's only free-roaming reindeer herd, walk through ancient pine forests and snowy mountain landscapes, visit the legendary Loch Ness and celebrate Hogmanay at one of Scotland's most spectacular New Year traditions – the Stonehaven Fireballs. We've worked hard to put together a trip that combines winter hiking in the Highlands with some of Scotland's best New Year traditions, while keeping it nice and relaxed, so it's suitable for anyone reasonably fit and active (beginners welcome!). To keep the trip flexible and personal, the group is limited to just 13 participants.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

Spend Hogmanay in the Highlands – Scotland's favourite celebration of the year, full of age-old traditions
Watch the Stonehaven Fireballs – a spectacular Scottish tradition where locals swing blazing fireballs through the streets at midnight, followed by fireworks over the harbour
Meet the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd – Britain's only free-roaming reindeer herd, living in the mountains since 1952, and hand-feed them on a guided hill trip
Explore the Cairngorms, the largest national park in the UK and home to five of its six highest mountains – one of the snowiest places in Britain, with snow-capped peaks, ancient pine forests and frozen lochs
Visit Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle – one of Scotland's largest and most famous castles, right on the shores of the loch (keep an eye out for Nessie!)
Hike to the dramatic Coire an t-Sneachda – a glacial corrie beneath the Cairngorm plateau
Enjoy delicious local specialities and traditional Scottish food – from haggis and Cullen skink to shortbread and a wee dram of whisky
Walk around Loch an Eilein, one of the Highlands' most beautiful lochs, and its medieval island castle
Enjoy a stroll around Loch Morlich, with its sandy beach and views of the snow-capped Cairngorm mountains
Hit the slopes at Cairngorm Mountain Resort, Scotland's best-known ski resort, if you fancy a day of skiing or snowboarding
Warm up in an authentic wood-fired sauna on the shores of Loch Alvie, with a refreshing loch dip for the brave (TBC)
See the iconic Kelpies (the world's largest horse sculptures!)

ITINERARY

Day 1 – Wednesday (30/12):

06:45 Meet outside Hotel Novotel London West, 1 Shortlands, W6 8DR (a five-minute walk from Hammersmith Station)
07:00 Sharp departure
13:00-13:45 Stop for lunch at Tebay Services Farmshop & Kitchen
19:30 Arrive in Aviemore, in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, check in at Aviemore Youth Hostel (twin rooms)
20:00 Dinner in Aviemore and free time

Day 2 – Thursday (31/12):

09:00-10:00 Breakfast in Aviemore (recommended: Ryvoan Café or The Coffee Pot), buy packed lunches
10:05 Depart for the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre
11:00-13:00 Hill Trip to the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd with a herder – time amongst the reindeer, with a chance to hand-feed them (£29.40 – tickets are very limited and sell out extremely fast, so we'll pre-book them for the whole group as soon as they are released)
13:00-13:30 Lunch
13:30-15:30 Circular walk around Loch Morlich through pine forest, with stunning views of the snow-capped Cairngorm mountains (difficulty: Easy, distance: 6km, ascent: 50m) – see here
15:45 Return to Aviemore, free time and dinner
19:15 Depart to Stonehaven
21:45-01:00 Stonehaven Fireballs – one of Scotland's most famous Hogmanay traditions, with street entertainment, a pipe band, fireballs swung through the streets at midnight and fireworks over the harbour
01:00 Depart back to Aviemore
03:30 Arrive back at Aviemore Youth Hostel – Happy New Year!

Day 3 – Friday (01/01):

10:00 Breakfast in Aviemore
11:00 Depart for Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle – one of Scotland's largest and most famous castles, right on the shores of the loch
12:30-14:30 Free time to explore the castle and souvenir shop, and have lunch
16:00-17:15 (TBC) Authentic wood-fired sauna experience on the shores of Loch Alvie – we're currently in touch with the host, Linda, to arrange a private booking for our group on 1 or 2 January
17:30 Return to Aviemore Youth Hostel, free time for dinner

Day 4 – Saturday (02/01):

09:00 Breakfast in Aviemore, buy packed lunches
10:00 Depart
10:15-15:00 Cairngorm Mountain Resort – for those who'd like to, a whole day of skiing or snowboarding, with over 30km of pisted runs and equipment hire on site – see here
10:15-12:30 For those who prefer hiking, a walk from the resort to the beautiful Coire an t-Sneachda (difficulty: Moderate, distance: 7km, ascent: 300m) – see here
12:30-13:30 Lunch and transfer to Loch an Eilein
13:30-15:30 A walk around Loch an Eilein, with its medieval island castle and fantastic views of the Cairngorm mountains (difficulty: Easy, distance: 7km, ascent: 70m) – see here
18:00 Check in at Holiday Inn Express Stirling, dinner and free time

Day 5 – Sunday (03/01):

07:00 Breakfast at the hotel (included)
08:30 Depart
09:00-09:45 Photo stop at The Kelpies – Scotland's iconic 30-metre horse-head sculptures (largest horse sculptures in the world!); time for photos, a quick coffee and souvenirs from the visitor centre
12:30-13:15 Lunch at Tebay Services Farmshop & Kitchen – a great chance to pick up local Cumbrian and Scottish produce to take home
19:00 London, Hammersmith

DIFFICULTY & EQUIPMENT

This trip is suitable for anyone reasonably fit and active. Hiking boots, warm layers, waterproof and windproof clothing, a hat, gloves and micro spikes are essential for a Scottish winter. We'll share recommendations for micro spikes (good ones cost around £20) about two weeks before departure, so you have time to buy them and try them on.

ACCOMMODATION

The default option is a twin room, shared with one other person of the same gender from our group: three nights at Aviemore Youth Hostel (shared bathrooms) and one night at the Holiday Inn Express Stirling (en-suite). Aviemore Youth Hostel is very well reviewed, and has a well-equipped kitchen with fridges, microwaves, hobs and other appliances, comfortable lounges, and washing machines and dryers should you need them.

TRANSPORT

As on most of our trips, we'll travel in a comfortable 16-seater minibus.

LUGGAGE

You may bring two bags with you: one cabin-size personal item bag (maximum 10kg, 55 × 40 × 20 cm) and one hiking backpack. Please note that luggage space is limited, so suitcases larger than cabin size cannot be accommodated. During the hikes, you can leave your luggage in the minibus.

BOOKING

The total cost of this trip is £798 per person. A deposit of £98 is required to secure your place, with the remaining balance paid one month before the trip (November 30). Any places not paid in full by this date will be lost, and the deposit will be non-refundable and non-transferable.

To join, please RSVP and pay the deposit (£98) by bank transfer to the account below, leaving your Meetup name and the name of the trip as a reference (e.g. John Scotland):

Business Account Name: London Social Hiking Limited
Sort Code: 20-17-20
Account Number: 63116514

We'll let you know by changing your status to “Paid” as soon as the payment is cleared. You can check your status next to your name in the attendees list of the event. You don’t need a paid Meetup subscription to do this – just close any pop-up windows and continue.

THE PRICE OF £798 INCLUDES

Transport throughout the trip
Two experienced, professional PSV minibus drivers
Guiding on all hiking routes by an experienced and qualified Mountain Leader, who has also completed Winter Mountain Leader training
Three nights' accommodation at Aviemore Youth Hostel in twin rooms, shared with one other person of the same gender from our group
One night's hotel accommodation in twin rooms, on the same sharing basis
Full cooked buffet breakfast at the hotel on Sunday
Group first aid kit with qualified first aiders
Admin fee
20% VAT

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Personal insurance (for cancellation, accident, health, emergency evacuation and loss, theft of or damage to baggage and personal effects, and personal trekking insurance)
Cairngorm Reindeer Herd Hill Trip (£29.40) – we'll pre-book everyone's tickets as soon as they are released so no one misses out; you can pay us later
Urquhart Castle entry (£14 if booked online)
Skiing or snowboarding, lift passes and equipment hire (if you choose to ski)
Meals, other than Sunday's breakfast

HOW TO CONTACT US

For all enquiries, please PM Anna (the main organiser) via Meetup. Alternatively, you can email us at [email protected] We'll usually get back to you within 4 hours.

Your guide will be Anna (07596844467, only for use during the hike). Please get in touch if you have any difficulty locating the meeting point or need help during the trip.

WHAT TO BRING

Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support
Waterproof and windproof jacket and trousers
Warm layers
Warm hat and gloves
Micro spikes (we'll share recommendations)
Nuts and energy snacks to last you during the trip
A flask or water bottle
Head torch – it gets dark around 16:00
Walking poles (optional)

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REFUND POLICY

As stated in the “Booking” section of the event description, a deposit of £98 is required to secure your place, with the remaining balance paid one month before the trip (November 30). Any places not paid in full by this date will be lost, and the deposit will be non-refundable and non-transferable. If you have paid the full balance by November 30 and wish to cancel, our standard refund policy (here) will apply.