A guidebook to over 100 walking routes in the Cairngorms and Lochnagar. Sitting between Speyside and Deeside the Cairngorms National Park provides the backdrop for these low- and high-level walks and scrambles suitable for a range of abilities.

Walks range from 2 to 42km (1–26 miles) and have been graded by difficulty, allowing you to select routes suitable for your ability level. 

• 1:50,000 OS maps or 1:100,000 route maps included for each walk
• Includes 18 Munro summits
• Multiple summit path options are included for five hills – Macdui, Cairn Gorm, Braeriach, Cairn Toul and Lochnagar
• Detailed information on facilities and mountain bothies
• Easy access from Aviemore and Braemar

Introduction
Cairngorms: the highs and the lows
Walking conditions 
When to go 
Safety in the mountains   
Maps   
How to use this book 
Part 1 Aviemore and the Spey  
1 Grantown and Spey  
2 Spey at Boat of Garten  
3 Craigellachie Birches  
4 Geal-charn Mor   
5 Around Loch an Eilein   
6 Ord Ban   
7 Argyll Stone   
Part 2 Glen More   
8 Gleann Einich and the Sgorans   
9 Creag a’ Chalamain and the Cat Notch   
10 Down Cairn Gorm   
11 Lochan Uaine   
12 Meall a’ Bhuachaille 
13 Creag Mhor and Bynack More   
14 Beinn Mheadhoin   
Summit Summary: Cairn Gorm   
15 Bynack More and the Saddle   
16 Strath Nethy and the Saddle   
17 Lairig an Lui, Loch Avon, Coire Raibert   
18 Lochan na Beinne and Cnap Coire na Spreidhe   
19 Coire Cas (descent)   
20 Coire an t-Sneachda: Headwall (scramble Grade 1)
21 Coire an t-Sneachda: Pygmy Ridge (scramble Grade 3)  
22 Coire an t-Sneachda: Goat Path   
23 Fiacaill Ridge of Coire an t-Sneachda (scramble Grade 1)  
24 Lurcher’s Crag  
25 Plateau route from Macdui
Shelter Stone Summary
26 Strath Nethy and the Saddle 
27 Lairig an Lui, Loch Avon
28 To Coire Cas or Cairn Gorm by Coire Raibert 
29 From Coire Cas by Coire Domhain  
30 From Linn of Dee by Loch Etchachan  
31 To Ben Macdui by Loch Etchachan  
32 To Carn Etchachan by Pinnacle Gully (scramble Grade 1)  
33 Forefinger Pinnacle (scramble Grade 3)  
34 To Ben Macdui by Avon Slabs (scramble Grade 1 or 2)  
Summit Summary: Ben Macdui  
35 From Lairig Ghru by Tailor Burn   
36 From Derry Lodge by Carn a’ Mhaim   
37 Sron Riach
38 Via Derry Cairngorm
39 Coire Etchachan 
40 From Coire Cas  
41 Plateau route from Cairn Gorm
Part 3 Badenoch
42 Badenoch Way 
43 Insh to Aviemore  
44 Druid Circle at Dalraddy   
45 Take an Insh  
46 Carn Dearg Mor   
47 Mullach Clach a’ Bhlair by Coire Garbhlach   
48 Badan Mosach waterfall   
49 Summer Road to Ruthven   
50 Glen Tromie: Croidh-la   
51 Creag Bheag   
Summit Summary: Braeriach   
52 From Glenmore by Chalamain Gap and Sron na Lairige  
53 From Rothiemurchus by Sron na Lairige   
54 Gleann Einich and Coire Ruadh   
55 Gleann Einich and Coire Dhondail   
56 Coire Dhondail scramble (scramble Grade 1)   
57 South Ridge of Coire Bhrochain   
58 Ridge route from Cairn Toul   
Summit Summary: Cairn Toul   
59 Coire Odhar 
60 Great Moss   
61 East Ridge (scramble Grade 1)  
62 Northeast Ridge of Angel’s Peak (scramble Grade 1)  
63 Corrie of the Chokestone Gully   
64 Ridge route from Braeriach  
Part 4 Glenlivet and Tomintoul   
65 Hills of Cromdale 
66 Carn Daimh   
67 Around the Brown  
68 Glen Brown and Ailnack Ravine  
69 Ben Avon by its River  
70 Tors of Ben Avon  
71 Cnap Chaochan Aitinn   
72 Ailnack Upper Ravine   
Part 5 Donside   
73 Carn Ealasaid   
74 Brown Cow Hill  
75 Don to Ben Avon  
Part 6 Deeside Braemar   
76 Clais Fhearnaig   
77 Derry Cairngorm by Lochan Uaine   
78 The Happy Face of Beinn a’ Chaorainn   
79 Dee and Derry  
80 Around Glen Geusachan  
81 The Devil’s Back Side  
82 Glen Quoich  
83 Beinn a’ Bhuird   
84 Carn na Drochaide and the Fairy Glen   
85 Morrone Birkwood and the Dee  
86 Morrone and Glen Ey   
87 Creag nan Gabhar 
88 White Mounth and Jock’s Road
Part 7 Balmoral and Lochnagar 
89 Balmoral Castle   
90 Craigendarroch and the Dee   
91 Around Loch Muick  
92 Dubh Loch and Broad Cairn  
93 Creag an Dubh-loch   
Summit Summary: Lochnagar  
94 Queen Victoria’s Ballochbuie Route  
95 Byron’s scramble by the Stuic (scramble Grade 1) 
96 Tracks from Balmoral  
97 Meall Coire na Saobhaidhe  
98 Tourist path from Spittal of Glenmuick 
99 Conachcraig  
100 Loch na Gaire  
101 Falls of Glas Allt (descent)  
102 From Loch Callater 
The Long Routes  
The Cairngorms 4000s   
The Lairig Ghru  
Appendices  
I Route summary   
II Access (in particular during the deer-stalking season) 
III Mountain bothies  
IV Gaelic place names 
V Lists of hills 
VI Scrambles summary and grading 
VII Accommodation and information
VIII Further reading 

Seasons

snow on tops December-April. May/June best for all routes. July/August bring midges and heat

Centres

Aviemore, Glenmore village, Kingussie, Newtonmore, Tomintoul, Cock Bridge, Ballatar, Braemar

Difficulty

Walks range in length from 1 to 26 miles and are graded for difficulty. Options for walks on mountains (900m+), mid-level hills and low-level routes. Some scrambling.

Must See

Classic summits include Macdui, Cairn Gorm, Braeriach, Cairn Toul and Lochnagar; river walks along the Spey, Nethy, Avon and Dee; Lairig Ghru

January 2023

Walks 79 and 80

July 2018

The Garbh Choire refuge

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