Hill walking in Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland

Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms is a hill walking and walkers paradise and this part of Scotland offers some of the best walking in Scotland and Northern Europe. There are no less than 24 Munros (mountains over 3,000 feet) in the Braemar area alone! The area is great for hillwalking amd 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 hill 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.

For a list of top ten short walks in the Deeside area please click our page on  www.discoverroyaldeeside.com/short-walks-top-10/  and for top ten longer walks www.discoverroyaldeeside.com/longer-walks-top-10/    

Whether you’re dedicated to bagging Munros or just looking for a leisurely stroll with the family on a bright winter’s day, Royal Deeside and The Cairngorms can offer scenic walks to suit everyone. As the days grow shorter and winter arrives, enjoy the changing of seasons with breathtaking views across the region. To give you a head start, Royal Deeside and The Cairngorms Destination Management Organisation (DMO) has come up with some of its top winter wonderland walks:

Family Favourites
The snow covered hills of Royal Deeside and The Cairngorms are a magnificent site providing plenty of excitement for young and old. For a leisurely Sunday morning head to Scolty Hill in Banchory. This easy family walk has the Burnett Monument at the summit – offering extra encouragement to youngsters to make it to the top. For the adults there are stunning views across Feughside and Lower Deeside. The walk is about four miles and is likely to take around 2 hours to complete - a perfect length to keep children interested and build up an appetite for a hearty winter meal.

For something less strenuous, explore the picturesque Glen Tanar Estate. Ideal for families, this walk can be as long or as short as you want with a national nature reserve within the estate offering the chance to spot a selection of wonderful wildlife. Enjoy the crisp winter air as you admire the remnants of the ancient Caledonian pine forest.

Easy like Sunday Morning
Burn O' Vat and the Culblean circuit, near Dinnet, is a great circular walk which includes the Vat - a deep water gouged bowl waiting to be explored. Leading though open countryside and picturesque pinewoods it will take around four hours to complete.

Enjoy some history and culture during a stroll around the grounds of Balmoral Castle. The circular trail around the estate takes in eight Royal cairns which were built to commemorate several Royal marriages, as well as the purchase of Balmoral and as a memorial to Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert. At just over five miles in length it’s picture perfect at this time of year.
Magnificent Munros

You’re guaranteed to feel a sense of achievement after you’ve climbed to the peak of one of Royal Deeside’s mountains. Home to five of the six highest mountains in Scotland and the most extensive arctic mountain range in the UK, this region is a hill walker’s paradise.

There are 24 Munros (mountains over 3000 feet) which can be accessed from the Deeside side of the Cairngorms, including the UK’s second highest mountain Ben Macdui. The challenging hike up Ben Macdui can begin from both Deeside and Speyside and is a long route which requires experience and endurance. This Munro is not for the faint hearted, not only is it a long way to the top, the summit is also said to be haunted by an old grey man. Hikers are recommended to check weather conditions before attempting this climb.

A slightly shorter path up the ‘dark’ Lochnagar provides majestic scenery across the Royal Balmoral Estate. Its commanding position cannot be missed as it broods over Loch Muick at a height of 1154 metres. The route to Lochnagar begins with a walk around the beautiful loch where there is a small visitor’s centre along with a telescope to try and catch a glimpse of the red deer roaming on the estate. Winter is the perfect time to see the deer when they feed from lower levels. If the eight hour walk up Lochangar seems too strenuous – or if the weather is not fit - why not enjoy a more leisurely walk around the loch itself which has many variations and can be made longer or shorter to suit walkers of all abilities.

For the beginner munro bagger, Mount Keen is a long but straightforward climb. Set within in Glen Tanar Estate, the most easterly munro in Scotland is also great for cyclists. The 14 mile round trip to the summit is a great way to climb your first Munro and take in the wonderful winter scenery.
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.

Local company WalkDeeside offer guided hill 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. www.walkdeeside.com 

There is an excellent range of hill 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

Ballater Walking Festival in May is a major annual event www.royal-deeside.org.uk/RDnews/walkweek.htm

The Active Aboyne festival in September has a large number of hillwalking and outdoor activity events www.activeaboyne.co.uk/

Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust has developed dozens of paths and hill walking routes in Royal Deeside.  www.cairngormsoutdooraccess.org.uk/ details over 50 low level walks from towns and villages and information of high level walks for experienced walkers. There are links to other 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