Start your journey in Aviemore. Aviemore is a town in the Highlands of Scotland, in the area of Badenoch and Strathspey. It's the main base for skiing and other outdoor activities in Cairngorms National Park. The town mushroomed in the 1960s / 70s as winter sports became popular: initial developments were ugly, but these have been replaced by buildings more in keeping with the surroundings. The main part of town is along the loop of old road (now bypassed by the A9) near the railway station. There's another straggle of places to stay for a couple of miles along the B-road towards Cairngorm, as far as the village of Coylumbridge. In October 2018, the Cairngorm mountain railway suffered weather damage and closed, so access to the ski areas was lost. The company subsequently went bust. As of June 2019 the funicular is still out of service, with no re-opening date announced. The TIC is at 1 Aviemore iCentre, 7 The Parade, Grampian Road, PH22 1RH, ☏ +44 1479 810930. M-Sa 09:00-17:00, Su 10:00-16:00. Open year round, has info on local amenities and accommodation booking service. (updated Nov 2018)

Starting in Aviemore, you can be in Glasgow in just 2 h 50 min with Megabus. Book today from just £18.40 with easyBus.com.. Glasgow (Gaelic: Glaschu, Scots: Glesga) is the largest city in Scotland and the fourth-largest in the UK; with a population of about 625,000 (2018) in the city and 1,700,000 in the urban agglomeration (2018). Located at the west end of Scotland's Central Belt on the banks of the River Clyde, Glasgow's historical importance as Scotland's main industrial centre has been challenged by decades of socio-economic and political change alongside various regeneration efforts. Despite this, Glasgow remains one of the nation's key economic centres outside of London. Glasgow was awarded the European titles of City of Culture (1990), City of Architecture and Design (1999) and Capital of Sport (2003). In 2008, Glasgow became the second Scottish city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities initiative when it was named as a UNESCO City of Music. In preparing its bid, Glasgow counted an average of 130 music events a week; ranging from pop and rock to Celtic music and opera. The city has transformed itself from being the once mighty industrial powerhouse of Britain to a centre for commerce, tourism, and culture. It was the host city for the successful Commonwealth Games in 2014. Glasgow has become one of the most visited cities in the British Isles, and visitors will find a revitalised city centre, the best shopping outside London without a doubt, excellent parks and museums (the majority of which are free), and easy access to the Scottish Highlands and Islands.