Tomintoul
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Tomintoul, the highest village in the National Park, was a carefully planned affair, founded in 1775 to combat local cattle theft and illicit whisky distilling. Its instigator, the Duke of Gordon, designed the village in a grid layout, and the village’s attractive square and Victorian and Georgian buildings still show this organised structure.
Today, legal whisky production and above-board farming remain cornerstones of the community, alongside tourism. Tomintoul supports a healthy range of accommodation options, cafes, pubs and shops, and it has ten distilleries within 15 miles, including the eponymous Tomintoul Distillery. There’s a bowling club and primary school too.
As the last village en route to The Lecht (seven miles away) for those travelling from the north and west, Tomintoul is well-known to Scottish snowsports fans. It is also now a popular stop-off for mountain bikers heading to nearby BikeGlenlivet on the Glenlivet Estate, which has a range of flowy trails for riders of all skill levels.
Glenlivet Estate also has a visitor centre, educational services and an extensive network of walking trails. From these paths, it’s possible to spot black grouse, golden eagle, red squirrel – and, for those with a very keen eye and a lot of luck - wildcat, otter and pine marten.
As a designated Dark Sky Park, the area around Tomintoul is one of the best in the UK for stargazing. There are three car parks with astronomy information panels (one of these even has a hide with binoculars) in key spots surrounding the village, and the local Cairngorms Astronomy Group runs regular events.
Just outside of Tomintoul, to the north, is ‘Still’, an art installation commissioned to celebrate the creation of the SnowRoads, a 90-mile driving route through the National Park.
Tomintoul, the highest village in the National Park, was a carefully planned affair, founded in 1775 to combat local cattle theft and illicit whisky distilling. Its instigator, the Duke of Gordon, designed the village in a grid layout, and the village’s attractive square and Victorian and Georgian buildings still show this organised structure.
Today, legal whisky production and above-board farming remain cornerstones of the community, alongside tourism. Tomintoul supports a healthy range of accommodation options, cafes, pubs and shops, and it has ten distilleries within 15 miles, including the eponymous Tomintoul Distillery. There’s a bowling club and primary school too.
As the last village en route to The Lecht (seven miles away) for those travelling from the north and west, Tomintoul is well-known to Scottish snowsports fans. It is also now a popular stop-off for mountain bikers heading to nearby BikeGlenlivet on the Glenlivet Estate, which has a range of flowy trails for riders of all skill levels.
Glenlivet Estate also has a visitor centre, educational services and an extensive network of walking trails. From these paths, it’s possible to spot black grouse, golden eagle, red squirrel – and, for those with a very keen eye and a lot of luck - wildcat, otter and pine marten.
As a designated Dark Sky Park, the area around Tomintoul is one of the best in the UK for stargazing. There are three car parks with astronomy information panels (one of these even has a hide with binoculars) in key spots surrounding the village, and the local Cairngorms Astronomy Group runs regular events.
Just outside of Tomintoul, to the north, is ‘Still’, an art installation commissioned to celebrate the creation of the SnowRoads, a 90-mile driving route through the National Park.
Tomintoul
key
facts
Elevation
355m
Location
N
