Walking in Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms, Scotland
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Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms is a walkers paradise and this part of Scotland offers some of the best walking in Northern Europe. There are no less than 24 Munros (mountains over 3,000 feet) in the Braemar area alone! Famous hills and mountain names such as Lochnagar, Morven, Derry Cairngorm, Beinn a Bhuird and the Lairig Ghru all lie on our patch. There are however lots of walking experiences for all abilities with literally hundreds of footpaths, trails and walks to suit all levels from the young to experienced and committed Munro-baggers. See below for walking activities taking place in 2009.
Whether you want to stroll an easy country mile or so on level ground or get your leg muscles burning on some of Scotland's highest mountains, you'll be spoilt for choice in Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms.
If you would like to join other people to discover the joys of walking in our area, local company WalkDeeside offer guided walking holidays with experienced leaders, and shorter day walks built around themes like wildlife, conservation, and hills and mountains. They have excellent local guides and provide a full range of walking experiences. You can find full information at their website at www.walkdeeside.com Download their latest newsletter here WalkDeesideNewsletter
There is an excellent range of walking gear in the the Hill Trek Outdoor Clothing Shop in Aboyne and they will give excellent information on local walking www.hilltrek.co.uk
Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust (formerly the Upper Deeside Access Trust) has developed dozens of paths and walking routes with clear marking and excellent interpretation. Their website at www.cairngormsoutdooraccess.org.uk/ details over 50 low level walks from towns and villages throughout the area and also gives information of high level walks for experienced walkers, as well as links to other relevant local websites such as the North East Mountain Trust and The Cairngorm Club.
A popular information website for walking in the Scottish Highland hills is walkhighlands and details of many Royal Deeside mountain walks are here www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/braemar.shtml
You'll also find a huge range of local walking maps and books in outlets throughout our area. Visitor Information Centres are a good place for vital local knowledge that might lead to some wonderful place you would not otherwise have found. In particular, look out for the "Hill Tracks in the Cairngorms National Park" leaflet produced in association with the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society, whose website at www.scotways.com is another treasure chest of information.
A list of forest walks - many through spectacular Scots Pine forests - is described at out forests page.
In winter and snow conditions if you are venturing into the mountains please consult the Scottish Avalanche Information Service homepage for up to date information at www.sais.gov.uk
For a detailed daily weather forecast for the Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms area provided by the Mountain Weather Information Service visit http://www.mwis.org.uk/eh.php
This forecast is sponsored by Hilltreck Outdoor clothing specialists in Aboyne www.hilltrek.co.uk and is maintained by The Mountaineering Council of Scotland and SportScotland.
