Lochnagar Guided Walk

A mountain that has inspired many to recount its beauty, such as The Corries recital of Lord Byron’s poem “Dark Lochnagar”, it is easy to understand the adoration for this place when you reach the eastern side of the Corrie of Lochnagar and the cliffs of the mountain stands resplendent in front of you.

The route begins at the Spittal of Glen Muick, with a great sense of openness as you walk through the floor of the glen. Soon, after passing estate buildings, a forest of pine is reached, after which we start the steady climb up and up towards the peak of Meikle Pap. There are no extremely steep sections and the majority of the path is excellent underfoot which makes for straightforward walking. Once we reach the top of the eastern edge of the Corrie of Lochnagar, magnificent views are all around. The detour up to the top of Meikle Pap is well worth doing - not only is the view even better from here, but there’s some really interesting granite tors which offer an insight into what the mountain would have looked like before the last ice age.

After a well deserved break at Meikle Pap, we continue up the spine of Lochnagar to finally reach the summit. Queen Victoria made this same journey during one of her highland visits. There are panoramic views of the rest of the Cairngorms and looking west you will see mountains as far as your eye can see (on a clear day!).

After taking in the views and refuelling ourselves, we’ll start the return journey, following the course of the Glas Allt, a small stream (burn) which ends up in Loch Muick. Once at the shores of Loch Muick, we pass by Glas Allt Sheil, a royal highland residence built by Queen Victoria. There is more pinewood forest here, before taking the straightforward road back to the car park.

This is a classic hillwalk. Book your place now by clicking the button below.

£65 per person. Max group size of 4.

£170 for one to one private guided day.