Low level walks around Glen Calleter

One of the most attractive access points into the eastern Cairngorms, this beautiful meandering glen is ideal for both walking and biking. Ending at a mountain loch surrounded by steep cliffs, the glen is home to many unusual plants, like the tiny woolly willow, which, at a few centimetres high, is one of Scotland's smallest shrubs.

Distance 2½ miles/4.4 km. Time 2 hours. Grade difficult (200m ascent).
A wonderful short hill walk with superb mountain scenery. This route takes you into open high ground where navigation skills may be needed in poor weather, as well as suitable clothing and equipment.

1. The start point is at Auchallater Farm some 2.5 miles from Braemar on the A93 to Perth. As you pass Braemar Golf Course on your right hand side the ‘black nose’ of Sron Dubh is directly ahead.
2. Public Path to Clova is your marker to start this walk from the rough area of parking near Auchallater Farm. Invercauld Estate plan to create a serviced parking area here, similar to their development at Keilloch.
3. The track leads along the source of the Callater Burn for nearly 2 km, the main track heads on into the heart of Glen Callater while you take the obvious track on your right which doubles back and up onto the ‘nose’ of Sron nan Gabhar.
4. This track is initially steep and zigzagging as it weaves uphill. The views now switch between the bulk of Bheinn a’ Bhuird, with the summit tors of Ben A’an dominating the skyline above Braemar to the north, contrasting with the bleak and desolate views of Glen Callater to the south.
5. Pass the Grouse Butts and the path now levels out and sweeps round to the ridgeline, take time here to enjoy the panoramic views of the mountain tops of the high Cairngorms around you.
6. The return route for this walk is to retrace your steps back to the parking at Auchallater Farm. There are a number of quality restaurants to gain refreshments in Braemar.
   

2) Loch Callater Walk

Distance 6 miles/10km. Time 3 hours. Grade easy.
A low-level walk along the picturesque Glen Callater to visit one of the most attractive mountain lochs in the area.

1. The start point is at Auchallater Farm some 2.5 miles from Braemar on the A93 to Perth. As you pass Braemar Golf Course on your right hand side the ‘black nose’ of Sron Dubh is directly ahead.
2. Public Path to Clova is your marker to start this walk from the rough area of parking near Auchallater Farm. Invercauld Estate plan to create a serviced parking area here, similar to their development at Keilloch.
3. The track leads along the source of the Callater Burn, where fantastic rock formations can be seen in the riverbed.
4. After 2 km you will cross a bridge to the NE bank of the Callater Burn. These crags below Creag Phadruig are an ideal habitat for the Ring Ouzel. The area around here is the subject of an RSPB Breeding Ecology Project for this bird of the uplands. It is rarely seen below 250 m and nests in steep sided valleys, crags and gullies, especially under overhanging heather. It winters in the Mediterranean and North Africa before returning to these breeding grounds late March to early May. It is similar in size and colour to a blackbird except for a large white crescent on the upper breast, more prominent in the male.
5. After a further 3 km you will come to Loch Callater Lodge. The stables have been converted to form a bothy managed by volunteers from the Mountain Bothies Association. Also nearby is the Holy Well, named after Peter the Priest, who prayed for it to defrost after a coarse winter and, of course, it did! The outlook is one of tranquillity and calm.
6. However, all the action is high above in the hills around, with myths of dancing fairies and remains of crashed aircraft and the high dark corrie of Loch Kander, ‘a recess in the bosom of a mountain.’(Prof. William MacGillivray)
7. There are many mountain excursions to be taken from Loch Callater Lodge; Jock’s Road and Tolmount over to Glen Clova, a good path south to Carn an Tuirc and with Carn an t-Sagairt behind you may want to engage a qualified mountain leader from one of the local walking companies who would be able to interpret the landscape, tell the story of Deeside and get you back to the car safely.
8. The Upper Deeside Access Trust and Invercauld Estate have plans to extend the path to create a round loch path network. This should be completed in the summer of 2005.
9. The return route for this walk is to retrace your steps back to the parking at Auchallater Farm. There are a number of quality restaurants to gain refreshments in Braemar.