magazine spring 2012 magazine spring 2012 Scotland Scotland 06/02/2012 09:11 Route 01 , Route 02 Lochnagar, Aberdeenshire G Distance 19km/12 miles G Time 6-7hrs G Type Forest and G Distance 20km/12½ miles G Time 7hrs G Type Mountain and glen master mountain master NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL

Plan your walk Plan your walk G Edinburgh G Glasgow G Inverness

KilmarnockG ABERDEENSHIRE AberdeenG GALLOWAY Dumfries LOCHNAGAR G

CAIRNSMORE Dundee G G Perth

WHERE: Upland walk over WHERE: Hill walk from Cairnsmore of Fleet and Glen Muick over its smaller neighbour, Lochnagar in PHOTOGRAPHY: KEITH FERGUS PHOTOGRAPHY: Meikle Mulltaggart, near KEITH FERGUS PHOTOGRAPHY: Aberdeenshire. Newton Stewart. Cairnsmore of Fleet, at 711m/ 1. START Walk through the car START/END: Spittal of Lochnagar is one of the truly 1. START From the car park START/END: Car park near 2,333ft, is the highest point along park to a gate, go through and Glenmuick car park classic British mountain walks, its (NO310850), turn L on to a Muirfad (NX463631). the Galloway coast and provides turn L on to a single-track road. (NO310850). renowned brooding cliffs never single-track road, cross a bridge TERRAIN: Good paths and a stunning vantage point and a Follow this as it climbs gradually, TERRAIN: Outstanding failing to take the breath away. and follow the road past the tracks through forest and window on the wilder, remoter crossing a burn by an old stone paths make up the Lochnagar is the name given to visitor centre. Go round a barrier over mountain, with more upland areas of Galloway. The bridge, before swinging L to pass majority of the route, the mountain as a whole (the then turn R on to a road than 914m/3,000ft of steep Merrick (Galloway’s highest Cairnsmore House. The road although there are short highest point is actually Cac Carn signposted for Lochnagar. ascent. Good navigational mountain), the Mull of Galloway bears R and then, just before a sections of pathless Beag), which includes the dark, Continue along this road, skills required on summit (Scotland’s southernmost point), farm, a signposted path turns R mountain plateau near cold waters of the loch sitting crossing a bridge over the River plateau of Cairnsmore of Bay, the Lake District, from the road. Follow the path the summit, and several at the base of the cliffs. A Muick towards an old cottage. Fleet, which has no path. the Isle of Man, Ayrshire and as it meanders through steep ascents and descents magnifi cent panorama extends Just before the cottage MAPS: OS Explorer 319; Kintyre are just a few of the sights woodland to reach a narrow along cliffs where real over the wild Cairngorms and (NO299858), bear L from the Landranger 83. that can be seen from Cairnsmore road. Turn L and follow the road care should be taken. out to Mount Keen, Scotland’s road on to a path, cross a track GETTING THERE: The of Fleet’s exposed plateau. By past a farm, continuing straight MAPS: OS Explorer 388; easternmost Munro. Yet it is the and then follow the path past regular Stagecoach bus continuing to Meikle Mulltaggart on to a track to a gate. Go Landranger 44. sweeping views along the lip of the cottage into a lovely section 500 goes from Stranraer and around the Knee of through into a fi eld and GETTING THERE: The Lochnagar’s stunning cliffs and of woodland. or Dumfries to Muirfad Cairnsmore, you’ll experience a immediately bear R, walking nearest public transport corries that really live long in the (✆ 0871 200 2233, real sense of the wildness that is diagonally across the fi eld to the start is the regular memory. It certainly made a 2. The path climbs gently www.travelinescotland. found in this part of Galloway. (where livestock may be Stagecoach Bluebird Bus lasting impression on Lord Byron through the wood, crossing a com), leaving a half-mile Wildlife such as red deer, grazing) and up a hillock, Service 201 from who wrote of ‘The steep frowning couple of bridges on to open walk to the start. peregrine falcon, red and black before passing through a Aberdeen to Ballater, glories of dark Lochnagar’. Queen hillside, from where a track EATING & DRINKING: grouse and wild goats can be gate into Bardrochwood about an 8-mile walk Victoria ascended Lochnagar on climbs gradually through great Stables Tearoom, Palnure spotted in the landscape; while Moor (NX474643). along a single-track her pony in 1861 but by all swathes of heather. It crosses the (✆ 01671 404224). fl ora including dwarf willows, bell road from Glen Muick accounts hated it, stating: ‘it Allt-na-guibhsaich (NO291859), SLEEPING: Creebridge heather, cotton grass, blaeberries, 2. Follow a fi ne path through (✆ 0871 200 2233, www. was cold, wet and cheerless’. where feet may get a little wet,

House Hotel, Newton sphagnum moss and common oak and sycamore woodland, travelinescotland.com). Nevertheless, on a good day, a and continues to climb gradually L

Stewart (✆ 01671 402121, L butterwort thrive on the hillside cross a stile and then climb EATING & DRINKING: The walk over Lochnagar is nearly northwest beneath Conachcraig, and moorland. steeply alongside some saplings. impossible to beat. with the conspicuous peak of ▼ ▼ 51-52 walk34 scotland routemaster.indd 1 51-52 walk34scotland routemaster.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright.AM34/08

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Map not to scale. Map not to scale. Representation of Representation of OS Landranger MAP 44 OS Landranger MAP 83 1:50,000 1:50,000 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk START 1 FINISH www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

the base of Meikle Pap, an indistinct path that heads 3. The path then continues over provides an expansive and lonely continued... steepening towards a col on northwest along the plateau to continued... a stile and climbs steeply to viewpoint. your approach. At this col you reach a large cairn at Cac Carn reach the flat plateau near Green Inn, Ballater AB35 get your first real view of Mor (NO246857). The path www.creebridge.co.uk). Cairnsmore of Fleet’s summit 5. Retrace your steps to 5QQ (✆ 01339 755701, Lochnagar’s spectacular, continues a short distance north Visitor information: (NX502671). Here, the path bears Cairnsmore of Fleet, but just www.green-inn.com). brooding cliffs dropping to reach the true summit of Cac Newton Stewart TIC, L to continue north, past a before the trig bear L sLeepinG: The Green Inn vertically to the loch below. Carn Beag (NO244861). Dashwood Square monument commemorating the (NX504670) and cross the (as above). Bear R to pick up a steep path, (✆ 01671 402431, deaths of several people in plane featureless plateau south-south- Visitor information: which climbs the short distance 5. Retrace your steps past Cac www.newtonstewart.org). crashes on the plateau, to reach east (the spongy grass provides Balmoral Estate Visitor to the top of Meikle Pap Carn Mor and descend southeast Guidebooks: Walking the the trig and cairn. A sumptuous good walking) round the steep, Centre (✆ 01339 755059, (NO260860) and offers further to reach a path. Follow this a Galloway Hills by Paddy panorama, with the Merrick and craggy face of the fantastically www.balmoralcastle.com). amazing views of Lochnagar. short distance to Glas Allt. Here Dillon (£12.95, Cicerone, many of Galloway’s wild named Spout of the Clinks Guidebooks: The the path hugs the line of the ISBN 9781852841683). mountains prominent to the (NX506667). Pick up an indistinct Cairngorms by Nick 4. Retrace your steps back to river, descending gradually LocaL rambLers Group: north and west, greets you. path here beside an old fence Williams (£5.99, Pocket the col, then climb a steep path towards Loch Muick. Above Ramblers and follow it steeply down to Mountains, ISBN southwest up a bouldery slope the loch the path steepens, (✆ 01671 402733, www. 4. You can retrace your steps a col. A steep climb from here 9780954421724). to reach the lip of the zigzagging past a waterfall to ramblers.co.uk/groups). from here back to the car park, leads to a cairn above the Knee LocaL rambLers Group: magnificent cliffs of Lochnagar, reach Loch Muick at Glas Allt although to do so would mean of Cairnsmore (NX509654) and Aberdeen Ramblers just north of Cuidhe Crom. The Shiel (NO275824). Turn L and missing out on the wilder a view of the smaller but equally (✆ 020 7339 8500, www. gradient eases and a flatter path follow the track above the Once through a gap in a wall, climes of Meikle Mulltaggart. To prominent peaks of Screel and aberdeenramblers.org.uk). makes its way west around the banks of the loch to reach a the path re-enters the wood and get there, leave the trig and Bengairn, rising above the cliffs, although in poorer boathouse (NO295844). Turn R climbs steeply to reach a track. cross a section of pathless Solway Firth. weather and visibility, good on to a path and continue Cross the track and continue to terrain, going north-west. Then Meikle Pap ahead. Follow the navigational skills may be alongside Loch Muick, crossing climb more gradually through descend steep, grassy slopes to 6. Retrace your steps towards track above the Clais Rathadan required and real care should be a bridge over the River Muick the wood, which can be boggy at pick up a path, which climbs Cairnsmore of Fleet and bear gorge to reach a large cairn near taken. The path then dips gently on to a track (N0303842). Turn L times. You’ll eventually climb out sharply to reach the rounded L just before the summit the top (NO284861). to reach a flatter plateau. As the and follow this back to the of the tree-line (NX492655) on to summit of Meikle Mulltaggart (NX505665) to pick up the path swings L (NO251854), bear outward-bound track at the heather-clad lower slopes of (NX512678). This spot really outward-bound path and 3. Turn L on to a superb path R and climb the steep slopes the visitor centre and the Cairnsmore of Fleet, where great emphasises the wildness of the descend back to the car park

06/02/2012 09:11 that descends west and then towards Lochnagar’s summit. car park beyond. views along Wigtown Bay to the region and its central position where you started. begins to climb steadily towards Eventually you’ll meet with Route devised by Keith Fergus Mull of Galloway await. among the Galloway Hills Route devised by Keith Fergus