Low level walks around Tarland

The village of Tarland lies within the Howe O’ Cromar, bound on its northern side by a curve of heather clad hills and high pasture, and with open countryside, woods and cultivated land elsewhere. The village provides an excellent starting point for many fine walks in the surrounding countryside, with spectacular open views of Deeside towards Mount Keen, Lochnagar and Morven. The area is also home to many historic monuments including the recently restored 4000-year-old recumbent stone circle at Tomnaverie and Iron age Culsh Earth Houses often known as Souterrains. An excellent network of paths and tracks lead out from the village centre, providing a variety of routes to cater for all tastes and abilities.

Please Note – separate full colour leaflets are available from outlets in Tarland with map and route descriptions of each of the following routes.

Distance 3 miles/5 km. Time 1.5 hours. Grade easy. Waymarked route.
This pleasant walk explores the countryside to the east of Tarland and is good for observing wildlife.

1. From the car park opposite St Moluag’s Church, take the path way-marked green into the wood beyond the eastern boundary wall of the church. Turn right after 250 metres onto a wider woodland track.
2. Continue eastwards until you emerge from the wood and meet a tarred access road to Alastrean House.
3. Bear slightly left away from Alastrean House and continue along the way-marked woodland track. Watch out for the red squirrels and many different kinds of bird which are frequently seen in Alastrean Wood.
4. Follow the woodland track for a short distance and you will come back to the tarred access road to Alastrean. Cross the road and follow the track into the woods. The track changes to a narrow footpath after crossing a ditch. When you emerge from the trees at the eastern end of the wood, turn left down the stony track, following the way-marking post, and make for the prominent bridge which crosses the Smallburn. Ahead lies an avenue through what will become a new line of ‘double beeches’.
5. As the path climbs from the far end of the beech avenue, look back at the views of Lochnagar and Morven before entering the small pinewood. To the left of the way-marking post at the top of a small rise within the wood are what may be the degraded remains of a stone circle.
6. A short distance further on, turn right along the tarred road and look out for the old walled garden area. The walls have been very carefully constructed and include two recesses for beehives along the back wall.
7. The road then winds through the farm buildings of Oldtown of Kincraigie. The ‘monkey puzzle’ tree, in front of the farmhouse, enjoys a particularly commanding (and exposed) outlook.
8. Enjoy the fine view over the Howe O’ Cromar as you descend to join the Tarland to Coull road. Turn right and follow the road back to Tarland.
9. On your right, the curling pond lies in a sheltered hollow with Tarland Golf Course beyond. The ruined church on your left as you enter the village is believed to date back to before 1567.
10. Turn right beyond the ruined church to return to the car park or left to visit the Square for shops and refreshments.
    

2) Corrachree Circular Walk

Distance 3.75 miles/6 km. Time 2 hours. Grade easy. Waymarked route.
This walk follows the perimeter of Drummy Muir, an area rich in evidence of Bronze Age settlement and farming. A spur from the circular route leads to Knockargety Hill, the site of an ancient hill fortification with splendid views across Cromar to the hills and mountains of the Dee valley.

1. From the car park take the broad track leading uphill away from the village. This is the old road from Tarland to Ballater, via Ordie and Tullich. Drummy Muir stretches away to the right and Drummy Wood lies to your left. Just beyond the high point of the track, pause to take in the view across Deeside to the summits of Mount Keen, Lochnagar and Morven.
2. Continue down the track towards the bottom of the hill where it bears sharp right. A few ruins remain here to mark the once thriving community of Crofts of Drummy.
3. Pass through the gate across the track and continue past the derelict croft-house. The track winds through woodland and passes through another gate before climbing to the road at Burnside.
4. At this point you have the option of cutting two kilometres from the route by turning right, or following the marked spur route to the left to take in the splendid views from Knockargety Hill.
5. If you have turned left, follow the tarred road for 200 metres and turn right through the gate at the start of the broad forest track leading into the pinewoods. This track eventually swings left and then sharp right after about 300 metres. Leave the track at this latter bend by bearing left. Take the path through the trees to the left of the timber extraction lane and follow it until you encounter the fence marking the southern edge of the wood. Keep this fence on your left for 250 metres and take the opportunity to view the panorama over the Dee valley. At the far corner of the field on your left, follow the way-marked route as it bears right into a sparsely wooded area. You will reach a track leading to the summit of the hill if you follow it to the left.
6. Enjoy the panorama before retracing your steps to rejoin the circular route.
7. Back at Burnside, continue along the tarred road where the view to the right affords an excellent view over the Howe o’ Cromar and its encircling hills. When the road ends, bear right and follow the farm track for almost 1500 metres back over the ridge to the west of Drummy Muir.
8. Turn right towards Tarland along the tarred road at the far end of the track and use the verges to keep clear of traffic. After 500 metres, turn right again to return to the Drummy car park. Refreshments are available in Tarland Square.
   

3) Drummy Woods and Stone Circle Walk

Distance 2.5 miles /4 km. Time 1 hour. Grade easy/moderate. Waymarked route. This route links a number of paths and tracks to provide an interesting ramble through the heart of the Howe o’ Cromar. Most of the walking is along good footpaths and tracks although some sections of the route may be muddy. Parts of the central section beyond Tomnaverie are rough underfoot where the route lies along the edges of worked fields. In Drummy Woods, the route follows woodland paths.

1. Turn right out of The Square and head south out of the village across the humpback bridge. The start of the path to Tomnaverie is marked by a stone sculpture on your left entitled ‘In The Beginning’. Follow this path across the flood plain of the Tarland Burn, over the wooden footbridge and up the slope to the Aboyne road. Cross this road with care. Continue left along the path to the Stone Circle, which is located on top of the small hill of Tomnaverie.
2. Leaving the stone circle, continue along the brown way-marked footpath towards the southwest, where you will see the surface remains of a Royal Observer Corps bunker.
3. The walking route now heads down through a field to the abandoned crofting community of Scrapehard. Keep to the left edge of the field and look out for way-marking posts leading you through ruined walls and across a marshy area to a farm access track. Turn right on to the track and follow it for 250 metres.
4. Bear left at the first track bend and look for the marked route giving access to the first of three fields. Follow the uppermost edges of these fields for 500 metres and take in the panorama of local hills that can be seen encircling the Howe o’ Cromar. Beyond the third field, follow the way-marked path which swings to the right away from the wall that you have been following and leads through a plantation of young trees to a gate at the Ordie road.
5. Cross the road with care and go through the gate directly opposite into the pinewood. The track through this wood swings gently round to the right and should be followed until a deep ditch is visible just ahead. Turn right at the way-marking post at this point and continue along the woodland track as far as the access road to Newton of Drummy. Turn left and follow this road for about 200 metres before turning right to re-enter the woods using the way-marked track.
6. The way-marked path back to Tarland winds northeastwards downhill through Drummy Woods from the corner of the field wall. Look out for the remains of ancient ‘double-dykes’ crossed by the path in at least two places. These are assumed to represent routes for herding stock between pastures in times long past. The way-marked route ends at the Drummy Woods car park. To return to Tarland Square, cross the bridge, and turn right at the petrol pumps.
   

4) Pittenderich Circular Walk

Distance 7 miles/11.5 km. Time 4 hours. Grade difficult. Waymarked route.
This walk will take you to the hills directly above Tarland to enjoy stunning views of Deeside and beyond. Much of the walking is on good paths, tracks and roads with dry underfoot conditions.

1. The described route starts with a gentle ramble through Muirton Woods. This route avoids the hazards of the Aberdeen road but, after 1.2 km, crosses the road 200m NE of the car park. Leave the car park by the gate furthest from the road and follow the woodland paths indicated by the red-topped posts. The route passes close to Alastrean House before turning left to follow one of its access drives.
2. Follow the drive for about 150m until it crosses a small stream, appropriately named Smallburn. Take the path to the left before the bridge and follow Smallburn upstream.
3. Cross the Aberdeen road with care and continue upstream with the Smallburn on your right. Nearing Smallburn croft, look out for the way-marking post which will guide you away from the buildings to continue following the left bank of the stream. Soon, you will encounter a double line of beech trees, one of the distinguishing features of the local landscape. Turning left here will take you quickly back to the village.
4. To carry on to Pittenderich, turn right, cross the footbridge and climb towards Doune Hill taking the beech trees path straight ahead. At the top of the slope turn left onto the woodland track which skirts the western side of Doune Hill for almost 1km, overlooking the fields of Ranna farm on the left with the Howe o’ Cromar below and Morven looming large beyond. Another shortcut to join the road back to Tarland is to descend between the next row of double beeches on the left after about 300 metres on this track.
5. Continuing round Doune Hill, the slopes of the Pressendye ridge appear behind Ranna farm buildings. The track soon rises obliquely away from the fields and joins another track. Continue along this way-marked track towards the electricity pylons. Turn right at the power line and follow it until the path falls to another track. Turn left along this track for a short distance.
6. The main track soon forks left and leads steeply up to the edge of the woods where open moorland begins. Go through the fence and bear right, keeping the small quarry on your left. Follow the forest track as it climbs to the NE giving a superb view over Mid-Deeside.
7. As you climb and approach the next plantation, look back to see the distinctive conical profile of Mount Keen with the contrasting rounded profile of Braid Cairn immediately to the east. Continue upwards through the pine plantation, keeping left at the track junction where the main track drops steeply to the right. Where the track emerges from the trees again, follow the short section of old track to the left indicated by the two way-marking arrows. This leads you to a more modern track at a forking junction. Double back sharply to the left on to this track and follow it away from the junction.
8. Enjoy the respite from the ascent as the track contours round the face of Pittenderich before climbing again as it swings to the right. Continue upwards while curving to the right and the heather slopes of Pressendye appear ahead. This is the highest summit on the long ridge that forms the northern rampart of the Howe o’ Cromar.
9. As the track levels out, look for the way-marking post opposite a gap in the plantation above the track. Turn right here and follow the rough Land Rover track upwards until the summit cairn of Pittenderich appears through the stunted trees. The easiest route to the cairn follows a path that comes into view just after you appear to have gone past the cairn on your right. At the cairn, you can appreciate the full impact of the spectacular panorama.
10. To return to Tarland, retrace your steps down the Land Rover track and along the forest track as far as the lay-by on your left. Bear right and take the way-marked track that heads in the direction of Tarland and Mount Keen. Out in the open heather moorland, look for turning points marked by way-marking posts as you descend towards a distant gate leading into another plantation.
11. Your route now continues downhill through a mixed plantation of spruce, pine and larch until the track swings to the right and emerges from the plantation at a gate. Follow the way-markers straight ahead from here and then turn left on to the track at the end of the line of beeches. Keep on the track for 700m and continue in the same direction when you come to the tarred road.
12. The road will lead you to Tarland via Ranna farm and Douneside House. After the first long straight descent, keep to the right at the small dam and follow the road that skirts behind Douneside.
13. Approaching Tarland, you can continue to the end of the Douneside road and turn left to return to the car park. Alternatively, you can take the track to the right just before the new MacRobert Trust offices and seek some well-earned refreshment in the village.