A Fantastic Ultra Run Based in the Heart of the Cairngorms National Park
2025 Date: Saturday 31st May
"An outstanding day in a beautiful place"
Entries Now Open
"Remote, Rugged and Stunning"
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The route will be waymarked. so no navigation experience is required.
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'Short Course Ultra' Option
Check Out the Details Below.
Surrounded by Beautiful Highland Scenery
Into the heart of the spectacular Cairngorm Mountains, really showcasing what this amazing area has to offer.
Extensive views across to the vast plateau around the Cairngorms' most dramatic corries & summits, including Ben Macdui, Braeriach & Cairn Toul, the UK’s second,third & fourth highest mountains
Visits both the major Cairngorm Lairig passes - the Lairig an Laoigh and Lairig Ghru
Through the magnificent Caledonian pinewoods of Glens Derry, Luibeg & Quoich
Experience this Wild & Remote Area with Support from a Great Event Team
The Cairngorms National Park, in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, is the largest national park in the UK & an area of outstanding natural beauty. Surrounded by the remnants of ancient pine forests, rolling glens, wild rivers and rugged peaks, the Cairnngorms offer one of the wildest and most remote landscapes in the UK.
The event is to be based from the beautiful setting of Mar Lodge, three miles to the west of Braemar. Known as the eastern gateway to the Cairngorms National Park, Braemar is one of Scotland's highest villages sitting at an altitude of 339 metres. With an excellent choice of terrain the area is superb for ultra running with many well maintained trails, tracks and paths leading you into the heart of the mountains.
The Cairngorms Ultra Trail takes you on a journey through this wild & majestic landscape and into the heart of this truly breathtaking area.....
Date: Saturday 31st May 2025 Distance: 60km Ascent: 1006m/3300' Start Time: 0800
Event Venue: Mar Lodge, Mar Lodge Estate, Braemar, Aberdeenshire, AB35 5YJ. The event start & finish will be located here.
Entry Fees: Special Early Bird Price: to 30th November: £62 From 1st December: £67 (+ 4% onine entry fee)
We offer a 50% refund (minus the online booking fee) up to 6 weeks before the event date. Please check the event T&C's for full details.
Entries: As this a conservation area entries will be limited. Minimum entry age 18 years old.
Event briefing notes will be published HERE approx five days before the event.
Please check these as there will generally be no further information emailed to participants prior to the event.
Registration: This will be based from Mar Lodge. Numbers will be issued at registration.
Registration will be available both Friday (1600-1830 approx) & Saturday 0630-0745.
Checkpoints:
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Derry Lodge
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Hutchison Refuge
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Derry Lodge
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Corrour Refuge
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Linn of Dee
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Glen Quoich
Aid Stations: Derry Lodge (23k) & Linn of Dee (45k)
Start/Finish: Mar Lodge
The route will be way marked so no navigation experience is necessary.
Just Enjoy the Spectacular Views
Participant Feedback
"Can’t thank you enough for the experience of a lifetime! Incredibly well organised, the best aid stations (the watermelon 🍉 with the friendliest people" Lynsey Robinson "Thanks for putting on an awesome event, absolutely loved it and showcased the Cairngorms in all their glory!" Mike Roberts "It is a phenomenal event! Great organisation, atmosphere and support. Kudos to everyone involved! All the best" Julian "Thank you for organising such an amazing event! Really big thank you to all your hard work and great organisation. It was my first ultra and I already forgot how hard it was and can only remember the joys and the stunning views. And people flying past after CP2 and being amazed:) I hope you all enjoyed it too and look back at an amazing event. I’ll be back for more anyway! " Tilia "I wanted to drop you a note to say a huge thank you to you and your team for putting on a fantastic event on Saturday. The scenery was spectacular but the encouragement I received from the high terrain events team was what made the day so special for me. It was amazing, and a truly inclusive event. The memories from that day will stay with me forever. Kind regards and best wishes to you and everyone at High Terrain events" Wendy
"I just wanted to thanks for putting on a spectacular event this weekend. The Cairngorm Ultra totally nailed it. The course was phenomenal with a fantastic mix of trail types. The views were incredible. Trail marking and marshaling was excellent, taking a wrong turn would have been very difficult. What a glorious day it was, the hot weather made the various river crossings most welcome. Big thanks to all the team for putting on an event I will definitely run again. Best regards" Mike Dillon "What a day! My heart says thanks but my toes not so much 😂 thanks to everyone involved, was extremely well organized" Pamela King "Thank You again for such a brilliant Cairngorms race! It was just a complete pleasure, in the painful way that only Ultras can be! It became obvious as I slowly plodded round on Saturday that someone had put a lot of thought into the route -much appreciated! Thanks to all your wonderful helpers, as always they provide such a reassuring presence the whole way round" Tim Warner "What an awesome route and scenery. Brilliantly organised by High Terrain Events". Thank you everyone🏴🏃♀️🐾 Julie Graham "What a venue and fantastic course. Thanks for putting it on" Gary Wolstencroft "My first ever ultra and LOVED IT! Still buzzing" Eleanor El
"I’ve never seen a more beautiful route. It was both fun and torture. I have sunburn as a souvenir 🙈 Thanks to the organisers and the cheery marshals for making it a great event" Diane Brander "Thank you to everyone involved in making a great day on the trails a fantastic one. The route was one of the best I have tackled and I take away many happy memories from the Cairngorm Ultra 24 🌞🌞 Saturday completed my journey to rediscover my running mojo. Thank you all..Till next time 😀" Iain Robertson "What a fabulous event- so friendly, so beautiful and so lucky with the weather. A big thanks to all the organisers for a very well run event". "I had a great time! It is a beautiful course and great support from the race officials. Overall spectacular!" "I ran the Cairngorms Ultra Trail which takes you to some of the most remote valleys of the Cairngorms National Park. One of the most magic places in the entirety of the UK, its a hell of a place for an ultra marathon. A few small hill climbs and incredible views as you run through its Caledonian Pine forests and beneath the UKs largest arctic plateau where Ben Macdui and some of the biggest mountains in all of the UK reside". "Thank you for an outstanding day in a beautiful place! You all make the best days happen, huge thanks to the awesome marshall team" Jenni RJ "Totally echo what Jeni Rees-Jenkins says. Lovely marshals and support around the route, an amazing setting to base it Thank you 😀" Frances Britain
Terrain: Following the old drove roads and passes between some of the highest peaks in Britain, the wild heart of the National Park can be experienced without trekking over major summits. The highest point of the course will be at 700m.
Although the route features 1006m (3300') of ascent, there are no major climbs or descents.
Saving a few sections on minor roads at the start & finish, the route is fully off road. The majority of the route generally follows well defined paths and tracks.
Singletrack Trail: 20 33
Off Road ATV Tracks/
Forest Roads: 38.5 62
Minor Roads: 3.5 5
Route Stats:
Nature of Terrain km %
Course: Starting & finishing at Mar Lodge this is a spectacular journey right in the heart of the Cairngorms. The route provides some stunning, remote, mountainous scenery. This will be a unique experience in a wild massif.
Click on the map links below to view detailed & interactive versions illustrating the elevation profile & distance markers.
Ascent: 1006m/3,300'
Descent: 1007m/3304'
Time Limits: 12:30hrs for the full event (Based on 5km/hr (3.1mph) approx.). There will also be intermediate cut off times at various locations (Details below).
'Short Course Ultra': If you reach CP5 at the Linn of Dee (45k) & decide not to continue on the full route, there will be an option during the race to continue directly to the finish at Mar Lodge.This will give a distance of 30 miles/48k & therefore still classed as an ultra. You will still be classed as a 'Finisher' & receive an amended finish time & finishers medal.
The advantage of this is maybe this is your first ultra & 60k might be a bit daunting. The shorter distance may be more achievable without the additional stress of trying to complete the full distance. Also, if you are not feeling at your best on the day, there is the possibility to still be classed as a finisher.
Please note: you will not be elegible for prizes & need to reach CP5 within the specified time limit.
Aid Stations: For environmental reasons there will be limited aid stations along the route which provide food & drink. It is important that you are carrying sufficient food and watersupplies to be partially self-sufficient on the course. There will be many possibilities to fill up fresh mountain water from natural rivers along the route. Please check the information provided below.
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Entry Requirements: This will be an awesome challenge in one of the most stunning areas of the UK. You do not have to be super fast or an elite athlete to enter, although it will be useful to have some experience of running in this type of environment.
Navigation & Waymarking: For 2024 the route will be waymarked so no navigation experience is necessary. In addition, safety marshals will be located at various key points on the course to assist you with following the correct route.
Navigational devices (GPS units, watches, smartphone, etc.) are permitted & a route GPX file is available to download below. If you are unfamiliar with the area it is highly recommended that you use such a device as backup to assist with navigation.
Although the route follows well defined trails, some navigational skills/experience will be useful. The responsibility is on the participant to follow the correct route.
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Event Venue: No need for any transfers to get you to the start or finish. We have a fantastic venue for the event, with the start & finish, event parking, camping & overnight camper van parking all located at the one location.
Facilities:
Event Camping: Camping is available at the race venue on the Friday and Saturday nights. This is a very cost effective way re accommodation & based at the venue no additional travel is involved. Cost is £10 a tent/camper van per night. Please note this is basic camping in a field, kindly provided by Mar Lodge Estate specifically for the event. Fresh water is available & toilets (portable toilets) are provided. There are no changing, washing up, shower facilities or electric provided. If you would like to book camping at the venue please email: info@highterrainevents.co.uk
UTMB Qualifying Event:
Previous course
Check out Ross Mackey's video from the 2021 event (previous course).
Check out our recce of the route.