Work to start on extensions and improvements across Glenmore car parks

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) will begin work to extend its Loch Morlich beach car park in Glenmore next week (1 December).

Highland Council has given full planning permission to add 25 more spaces, which will include four new accessible parking bays. 

The plans have been developed in liaison with Highland Council and the Cairngorm National Park Authority (CNPA) and the project is being supported by the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund and Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA).

Carol MacKintosh, FLS’ Area Visitor Services Manager, said:

“This is part of a planned approach to enable responsible parking in Glenmore. The extension will provide an improved layout within the car park and recover some parking spaces which were lost previously due to works at roadside.

“Unsafe parking places at roadside have been removed over the last few years, and expanding the beach car park to 130 spaces will provide some extra capacity where visitors most want to be.

“Unfortunately, we can only do this by removing a small number of trees but we will make sure that we compensate for this by planting at other locations across Strathspey.

“We will also have to close the car park for around 12 weeks to get the work done and we would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience that this might cause.”

The removal of the trees has been approved by both NatureScot and Highland Council. 

Planned outside of peak visitor season to minimise disruption, FLS anticipates that – weather conditions permitting – the new car park will be opened in spring 2026.

During this time, FLS will also undertake general and much needed resurfacing work across its other car parks in the area under a phased approach beginning with Lochside and finishing with Allt Mor.

Carol added:

“It makes sense to do this much needed maintenance work during the quieter winter months so that we are ready to welcome back visitors next season with upgraded parking facilities.

“The phased nature of the repairs means people visiting the area will still find alternative parking and we ask that any signage or direction to these alternative options is followed.” 

Notes to editors

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