This is the Central Highlands chapter from Lonely Planet’s Scotland’s Highlands & Islands guidebook.

From Cairngorm National Park to Royal Deeside, Scotland’s central highlands provide endless opportunities for outdoor hiking, hillwalking and mountain biking. Royal Deeside also boasts one of Scotland’s most famous salmon rivers.

• explore the hills, forests, castles and pretty villages of Royal Deeside
• maps
• ride the Cairngorm Mountain Railway to the top of the Cairngorm plateau
• transport
• be initiated into the mysteries of malt whisky on a Speyside distillery tour
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: West Perthshire, Aberfeldy, Kenmore, Loch Tay, Fortingall, Glen Lyon, Lochs Tummel & Rannoch, Rannoch Moor, Perth to Blair Castle, Dunkeld & Birnam, Pitlochry, Pass of Killiecrankie, Blair Castle & Blair Atholl, The Cairngorms, Aviemore & around, Grantown-on-Spey, Kingussie & Newtonmore, Dalwhinnie, Moray, Dufftown, Tomintoul, Strathdon, Alford, Craigievar Castle, Kildrummy Castle, Corgarff Castle, Deeside, Crathes Castle, Ballater, Balmoral Castle, Braemar, Inverey, Linn of Dee Circuit, the Angus Glens, Kirriemuir, Glen Isla, Glen Prosen, Glen Clova, Glen Lethnot, Glenesk, Edzell, Blairgowrie and Glenshee.