Best Local Places for Brunch in the Cairngorms

There are few things we enjoy more than a long, lazy breakfast, particularly when someone else is making it.

Whether you're after perfectly poached eggs, a full Scottish breakfast, good coffee and something sweet, or somewhere to refuel before a morning outdoors, there are some brilliant places for breakfast and brunch around the Cairngorms.

We should probably admit that eggs feature quite heavily in our personal definition of a good brunch. You'll find plenty of them on this list, although we've made an exception for Foxfire. Their coffee is good enough that we're prepared to overlook it.

Ryvoan Café, Aviemore

If your idea of brunch involves good food, excellent coffee and somewhere lovely enough that you don't feel any particular urge to leave, Ryvoan is a very good place to start.

Tucked away from Aviemore's main street, Ryvoan is a neighbourhood café and gallery with a slightly more contemporary feel than your traditional Highland tearoom. Think dark green walls, velvet seating, artwork, lots of plants and big windows looking out towards the Strathspey Railway and the hills beyond.

The menu changes with the seasons, with breakfast and lunch dishes making the most of good local produce. If the poached eggs with hollandaise are on the menu when you visit, that's our recommendation. The hollandaise is particularly good.

There is a great range of homemade cakes and cannoli for those with a sweet tooth.

Visit Ryvoan Café

Foxfire Coffee, Aviemore

Now about those missing eggs...

Foxfire is one of our favourite places for coffee in Aviemore and, in our opinion, serves some of the best coffee in the area. So despite failing one of our apparently essential brunch requirements, it absolutely deserves a place on this list.

Hidden away at Granish Business Park, just north of Aviemore, it feels a little like the sort of coffee shop you'd expect to stumble across in a city rather than the Highlands. The interior is modern and pared back, there's a small outdoor seating area for brighter days and lovely views towards the mountains.

Coffee is very much taken seriously here, with an ever changing selection of speciality beans alongside pastries, sweet treats and food including sourdough toasties.

Come for the coffee and miso cookies.

Visit Foxfire Coffee

The Barn, Rothiemurchus

The Barn is one of those places that's particularly useful to know about because it sits right in the middle of so many good ways to spend a morning.

It's at Rothiemurchus, just outside Aviemore, with the Farm Shop directly opposite and miles of woodland paths and activities on the doorstep.

Breakfast is relaxed and unfussy, and there's plenty of good coffee and home baking too. It's the sort of place that works just as well for a quick breakfast before heading out as it does for warming up beside the wood burning stove after a damp morning in the forest.

Our suggestion? Have breakfast here, pick up something good from the Farm Shop and then head into Rothiemurchus for a walk. Loch an Eilein is always a favourite.

Visit The Barn at Rothiemurchus

Rowan Tree Country Hotel, Loch Alvie

Sitting just south of Aviemore overlooking Loch Alvie, this is the place on our list for a proper sit down Highland breakfast.

There's a full Scottish alongside lighter choices, porridge and plenty of eggs. Benedict, Royale, Florentine, omelettes, scrambled, poached... this is clearly an establishment that understands our brunch priorities.

The setting is a big part of the appeal too. Loch Alvie is just below the hotel and you're perfectly placed for exploring this quieter side of Aviemore afterwards.

We'd recommend booking ahead rather than simply turning up for breakfast, particularly during busier periods.

Visit the Rowan Tree Country Hotel

Explorer Café, Aviemore

Explorer Café is one that's very easy to miss if you don't know it's there.

You'll find it upstairs inside the Tiso Outdoor Experience store in Aviemore Retail Park, and it's a particularly handy option if you're heading out for a day in the hills and want a substantial breakfast first.

The emphasis is on hearty breakfasts, good coffee, homemade cakes and straightforward food that will actually keep you going. It's relaxed, dog friendly and useful for families too.

And if breakfast happens to be followed by an entirely unnecessary browse through outdoor clothing and equipment downstairs, we couldn't possibly comment.

Visit Explorer Café

Pine Marten Bar and Scran, Glenmore

There is something particularly satisfying about eating breakfast when you're already surrounded by mountains.

The Pine Marten sits at Glenmore, a few minutes' walk from Loch Morlich and right on the doorstep of some of our favourite walks in the Cairngorms. It has the feel of a proper mountain hangout, serving freshly prepared breakfast alongside lunch, dinner, coffee and homemade cakes.

This is the one we'd choose if the rest of the day involves walking, skiing, cycling, paddling or simply heading down to Loch Morlich.

Come hungry, eat breakfast, then head outside. You're already exactly where you need to be.

So, where are we having brunch?

For a leisurely brunch in central Aviemore, we'd head to Ryvoan. For really good coffee, Foxfire. For breakfast followed by a wander around Rothiemurchus, The Barn. For a proper cooked breakfast, Rowan Tree. And if we're heading into the hills afterwards, Explorer Café or Pine Marten will set you up nicely.

Last updated September 2026