Low level walks around Loch Muick

The wild expanse of Loch Muick, almost totally encircled by steep mountains, is surprisingly accessible. Located on the royal estate of Balmoral, under the shadow of Lochnagar, its surrounds are home to many types of wildlife, including mountain hare, grouse and herds of red deer.

The area offers a wide range of walks of varying length and difficulty, from the relatively easy tracks around Loch Muick, to the more challenging routes onto Lochnagar and Broad Cairn. In the first snows of winter, the hill scenery is transformed, with the cliffs of Lochnager offering superb snow and ice climbing.

Distance 7½ miles/ 12 km. Time 4 hrs. Grade moderate. From Glas-alt Shiel add another 1½ hrs to see the spectacular Glas-alt Waterfall (a steep climb).
An attractive circuit to experience wild mountain scenery and wildlife.

1. From Church Square in the centre of Ballater, turn right following the B976 South Deeside and Queen Victoria Trail signs. Cross the Royal Bridge over the River Dee and turn right for Braemar. After a further half-mile turn left, signposted ‘Glen Muick’. This single-track road follows the River Muick upstream for a further 6 miles. Parking, toilets and visitor centre facilities are available at the Spittal of Muick.
2. This car park area was upgraded in 2002 to cater for the popularity of this walk. It is a good example of a working partnership between the Upper Deeside Access Trust and Balmoral Estates to manage an access and recreation issue whilst increasing the quality of the infrastructure available for walkers and visitors.
3. From the Car park proceed left across the bridge. Dippers can often be seen from here with their amazing ability to feed along the bottom of the Allt Darrarie. Aberdeenshire Council and Balmoral Estate provide the toilets and Visitor Centre respectively.
4. The route passes the Visitor Centre and goes straight ahead. The large house on your left was a keeper’s house and from1884 three generations of the Robertson family were employed as stalkers for the Royal Family.
5. Keep on this track, passing paths on your left and right and then pass under the crags of Creag Bhiorach, home to a population of Ring Ouzels, the mountain blackbird.
6. After 3 km from the car park you will come to a bridge, DO NOT take the steep track uphill but bear right down to a rocky and narrowing path where care should be taken. This will eventually bring you to the sandy shore of the southern end of the Loch. The improved path up into Corrie Chash can be seen. The route keeps to the shoreline and after crossing the Allt an Dubh-loch, home to an important population of water voles, it will bring you back onto the main track.
7. The wooded copse and granite lodge ahead is Glas-allt-Shiel, the ‘Widows House’ built by Victoria after Albert’s death and still used occasionally by the Royal Family. To the rear of the Lodge is a mountain bothy and toilet, which has been recently installed.
8. There is an alternative route uphill to the Falls of the Glas allt, this can be steep but will reward you with the sights and sounds of a real mountain landscape, making it a worthwhile detour.
9. Continue round the lodge and pick up the track and after 2 km you will come to a boathouse. Keep straight ahead towards the lodge of Allt-na-giubhsaich, in Gaelic ‘Stream of the Pines’. Just before the lodge you will pass a small copse of trees, screening the evidence of some mineral extraction likely to be used for track repair, a necessary estate management activity. The complex has an Aberdeen University Field Centre and the grounds have many species of native trees, such as Yew but also some exotic species epitomised by the Rhododendron.
10. Immediately after the lodge take the track bearing right. In winter large herds of deer can be seen low down here, in contrast to the rutting in late September when the stags can be heard high up on all the hillsides around. The track now leads to the Visitor Centre, which has excellent Interpretation Panels that ‘tell the story’ of the Estate.
    

2) Loch-end View Circular Walk

Distance 2.5 miles/4.5 km. Time 2 hours. Grade easy.
A short, level route as an introduction to the spectacular mountain scenery in this remote glen.

1. From Church Square in the centre of Ballater, turn right following the B976 South Deeside and Queen Victoria Trail signs. Cross the Royal Bridge over the River Dee and turn right for Braemar. After a further half-mile turn left, signposted ‘Glen Muick’. This single-track road follows the River Muick upstream for a further 6 miles. Parking, toilets and visitor centre facilities are available at the Spittal of Muick.
2. This car park area was upgraded in 2002 to cater for the popularity of this walk. It is a good example of a working partnership between the Upper Deeside Access Trust and Balmoral Estates to manage an access and recreation issue whilst increasing the quality of the infrastructure available for walkers and visitors.
3. From the Car park proceed left across the bridge. Dippers can often be seen from here with their amazing ability to feed along the bottom of the Allt Darrarie. Aberdeenshire Council and Balmoral Estate provide the toilets and Visitor Centre respectively.
4. The route passes the Visitor Centre and goes straight ahead. The large house on your left was a keeper’s house and from1884 three generations of the Robertson family were employed as stalkers for the Royal Family.
5. After 1 km a path leads down right to the loch side, follow it across a footbridge, where it continues along Loch Muick's north edge for another 500 m and meets up with the main track at a boathouse.
6. Take the track right towards the lodge of Allt-na-giubhsaich, in Gaelic ‘Stream of the Pines’. Just before the lodge you will pass a small copse of trees, screening the evidence of some mineral extraction likely for track repair, a necessary estate management activity. The complex has an Aberdeen University Field Centre and the grounds have many species of native trees, such as Yew but also some exotic species epitomised by the Rhododendron.
7. Immediately after the lodge take the track bearing right. In winter large herds of deer can be seen low down here, in contrast to the rutting in late September when the stags can be heard high up on all the hillsides around. The track now leads to the Visitor Centre, which has excellent Interpretation Panels that ‘tell the story’ of the Estate.
   

3) Capel Mounth Walk

Distance 2 miles / 3 km. Time 1 hour. Grade moderate.
A short climb up the Capel Mounth track to get superb views of Lochnagar and Broad Cairn, some of the highest mountains in Britain. An excellent walk for sighting red deer. 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. From Church Square in the centre of Ballater, turn right following the B976 South Deeside and Queen Victoria Trail signs. Cross the Royal Bridge over the River Dee and turn right for Braemar. After a further half-mile turn left, signposted ‘Glen Muick’. This single-track road follows the River Muick upstream for a further 6 miles. Parking, toilets and visitor centre facilities are available at the Spittal of Muick.
2. This car park area was upgraded in 2002 to cater for the popularity of this walk. It is a good example of a working partnership between the Upper Deeside Access Trust and Balmoral Estates to manage an access and recreation issue whilst increasing the quality of the infrastructure available for walkers and visitors.
3. From the Car park proceed left across the bridge. Dippers can often be seen from here with their amazing ability to feed along the bottom of the Allt Darrarie. Aberdeenshire Council and Balmoral Estate provide the toilets and Visitor Centre respectively.
4. The route passes the Visitor Centre and goes straight ahead. The large house on your left was a keeper’s house and from1884 three generations of the Robertson family were employed as stalkers for the Royal Family.
5. After 500 m the path heads up leftwards, signposted Public Footpath to Glen Clova by Capel Mounth and eventually will take you up and over into Glen Clova. This is an old drove route once used by cattle and cattlemen but now only walkers and the occasional stalker use this route.
6. The path takes you steadily up into the hills and high hill lochs of Deeside. Down on your right Loch Muick sweeps round and further tops now make themselves visible. Eventually the bulk of Broad Cairn and Cairn Bannoch above the Dubh Loch capture your interest. The largest cliffs in the UK, the crags of the ‘Creag an Dubh-Loch’, the playground of the mountaineer, look impressive.
7. The return is by retracing your steps where the views back towards the high Cairngorms will highlight walking routes for another day.

4) Dubh Loch Walk

Distance 11miles/ 18 km. Time 6 hours. Grade difficult.
An extended walk high up to the hill loch with spectacular views of the wildest mountain cliffs in the UK. 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. From Church Square in the centre of Ballater, turn right following the B976 South Deeside and Queen Victoria Trail signs. Cross the Royal Bridge over the River Dee and turn right for Braemar. After a further half-mile turn left, signposted ‘Glen Muick’. This single-track road follows the River Muick upstream for a further 6 miles. Parking, toilets and visitor centre facilities are available at the Spittal of Muick.
2. This car park area was upgraded in 2002 to cater for the popularity of this walk. It is a good example of a working partnership between the Upper Deeside Access Trust and Balmoral Estates to manage an access and recreation issue whilst increasing the quality of the infrastructure available for walkers and visitors.
3. From the Car park proceed left across the bridge. Dippers can often be seen from here with their amazing ability to feed along the bottom of the Allt Darrarie. Aberdeenshire Council and Balmoral Estate provide the toilets and Visitor Centre respectively.
4. The route passes the Visitor Centre and goes straight ahead. The large house on your left was a keeper’s house and from1884 three generations of the Robertson family were employed as stalkers for the Royal Family.
5. Keep on this track, passing paths on your left and right and then pass under the crags of Creag Bhiorach, home to a population of Ring Ouzels, the mountain blackbird.
6. After 3 km from the car park you will come to a bridge, DO NOT take the steep track uphill but bear right down to a rocky and narrowing path where care should be taken. This will eventually bring you to the sandy shore of the southern end of the Loch. The improved path up into Corrie Chash can be seen. The route keeps to the shoreline and after crossing the Allt an Dubh-loch, it will bring you back onto the main track.
7. Heading up left now you approach the Dubh Loch. The path crosses the Stulan Burn by a ford, which can be difficult to cross in spate conditions. The route brings you to the outflow from the Dubh Loch directly under the Creag an Dubh-Loch crags. The watercourse here is home to a healthy population of water voles, an extremely important species and in sharp decline generally.
8. This is an impressive short extension to the Loch Muick circular walk but well worth the effort to find yourself totally immersed in a grand mountain landscape.
9. Retrace your steps back to the main circular walk heading for the Glas Allt Shiel. Continue round the lodge and pick up the track and after 2 km you will come to a boathouse. Keep straight ahead towards the lodge of Allt-na-giubhsaich, in Gaelic ‘Stream of the Pines’. Just before the lodge you will pass a small copse of trees, screening the evidence of some mineral extraction likely to be used for track repair, a necessary estate management activity. The complex has an Aberdeen University Field Centre and the grounds have many species of native trees, such as Yew but also some exotic species epitomised by the Rhododendron.
10. Immediately after the lodge take the track bearing right. In winter large herds of deer can be seen low down here, in contrast to the rutting in late September when the stags can be heard high up on all the hillsides around. The track now leads to the Visitor Centre, which has excellent Interpretation Panels that ‘tell the story’ of the Estate.