UKC

Hi all, I have 7 full days and one half day (maybe a 1.5-2 hour walk somewhere pleasant) to hit as much good stuff in the Cairngorms as possible. 

The first 3.5 days a mate is joining me and he won't want to do crazy long days but I'd like to do at least one 20 miler if poss. The rest in the 8-14 mile range. I reckon 12-14 miles will be our long day with my mate and two 8-10 milers the other days. 

I honestly don't know where to start and want to get straight to the premium (subjective I know!) trails without wading through a load of stock stuff on alltrails.

Ideally, most walks would be convenient-ish for Ballater and I'd only want to drive the 1.5 hours to the far side of the national park once or twice for something really special.

Suggestions? Links to GPX files, komoot, OS maps or alltrails maps particularly welcomed!

Do you have a bike? It’ll make any big days from there into the southern cairngorms much easier.

The obvious one from ballater is Lochnagar, no bike needed if doing the circuit.

Hi Mike, no bike. Just a car. Cheers for the tip on Lochnagar. I'll check it out. 

Some of the approaches are quite long along very cycleable estate tracks.

And I forgot to paste this in.

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/find.php#main
And stick in ballater.

Doesn't have to be massive big hills either, is there any merit in a walk which takes in the fringes of Balmoral? Just for pure touristy appeal?

Walk Highlands is also a great place to find a good range of walks, both mega day multi-Munro walks and more gentle bimbles.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/

If you just click on an area, you'll get a list of routes that gets progressively tougher, so plenty of opportunity to find something that suits.

The walk around the commemorative cairns/pyramid above Balmoral is good. I found it useful to have my phone to Google all the various German princes who married whichever daughter of Queen Victoria and how they all ended up fighting each other on different sides in the First World War. Details on Walkhighlands.

Derry Cairngorm via Carn Crom and then back down Glen Derry via the Hutchinson Hut is a nice day out. Start at the Linn of Dee, bikes to Derry Lodge knock an hour off the day.

Edit, just seen no bikes!

There is a bike hire place in Ballater

Yeah, I should really know that because I hired a bike from it the day I rode in to walk up Derry Cairngorm...

As a lot of people have said, hiring a bike opens a huge number of options, especially around central Cairngorms.  

Longish day without a bike but loch Avon slabs are an excellent day out if dry and the alt garbh mor not in spare!  

From ballater directly coyles of muick is a superb short day with awesome views down deeside to bennachie and up glen muick into main Corrie of lochnagar.  

Similarly, Geallaig hill from glen gairn gives lovely views for a lower and shorter day.

Lochnagar it's self obviously, but I generally prefer to either bike to geldershiel bothy and up from there via west ridge or the stuic (easy scramble), or walk in from keiloch and back down over the north top and via the prince's stone.  Takes in some lovely old Scots pine woodland.  Though the white mounth circuit from Glen muick is a really nice day out.  Again, with bike you can cycle to Glas alt sheil, and head up the forked lightning path to broad cairn and finish down the via glas alt shield waterfall back to bike and cut out a load of landy track trudging.

Beinn a bhuird, especially with a bike too - dividing buttress as an excellent scramble from keiloch, or bike in to bulig lodge ruins and make a circuit over Ben Avon and Being a bhuird.  If time allows dropping down the ridges running NE after east meur gorm craig takes you through lovely torrs.

Less inspiring maybe but walking direct from ballater to mount keen via glen muick house path is a nice non-driving option.

Again, better with a bike, but cairn an t-saigairt mor from callater lodge, then looping in as much of white mounth or glen shee hills is a nice day out too.

I've not suggested stuff out towards braeriach as kept more to the braemar side, though loads out that way especially with a bike!

I can also heartily recommend the highland bakery at crathie - best butteries in the shire and rest of their cakes etc not too shabby either 😀 

Happy to give a few more route specifics if you're keen on any of the above.

Cheers,

Stu

I keep driving past and I love butteries. Mental note to stop next time. Co-op in ballater stock JD Ross's who do a decent one.

Now this one is a cracker on a bike.

Thank you so much all for your feedback on this. Much appreciated.

I have settled on the following schedule:

Craigendarroch Summit on arrival (we are travelling to Ballater from afar!) - Saturday

Morrone  – Sunday

Ben Macdui – Monday

Lochnagar – Tuesday

Geallaig hill from glen gairn– Wednesday

Loch Callater via Jocks road (visit to Braemar)  Thursday

Mount Keen from Glentanar – Friday

Balmoral cairns - Saturday

I just wanted to ask: Ben MacDui seems to come in different combinations and approaches - any thoughts on the best one?

I would recommend going via Càrn a' Mhàim (Cairngorms not renowned for ridges, but this is very nice) and eventually down the broad ridge via Sron Riach.) 

As others have said a bike helps (can be hired locally) and stashed around Luibeg Bridge. 

Enjoy.

I like the loop up over Derry Cairngorm and down Sròn Riach of a preference.

https://kinleyhazel.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/ben-macdui-and-derry-cairngorm...

Its not clear from your post when you're planning to go, but worth mentioning if its soon that there still looks to be a fair bit of snow high on the Scottish mountains. I see from another thread that someone seems to report maybe its not quite as snowy up on the Cairngorm plateau as it looks from below, and I haven't been up high for a few weeks, but its worth bearing in mind, as always at this time of year...

Carn a Mhaim is a nice little ridge and it tees you up very nicely for appreciating just how damned big MacDui is, given that Carn a Mhaim is a Munro too!