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Guidebook describing a selection of over 100 walks in the Cairngorms National Park and Lochnagar, covering low-level, mid-level and mountain routes (including 18 Munro summits) and both day walks and multi-day treks. From gentle sandy trails to rocky scrambles, the routes suit most abilities, taking in mountains, forests, lochs and moorland.
Cicerone says:
This guidebook contains over 100 routes for walking in the Scottish Cairngorms. It includes 18 Munro summits and smaller viewpoint hills. Walks range in length from 1 to 26 miles and are graded for difficulty.
For the adventurous there are the best of the area's rocky scrambles, and the classic through-routes including the Lairig Ghru. For those looking for a more gentle alternative, there are easy, sandy trails wandering among the tall pines and along the banks of the great rivers Spey, Nethy and Dee.
Britain's biggest mountain range is home to exceptional and varied scenery - from the ancient Caledonian forest to the granite plateau, the glacial glens and high corries where green lochans lie below great crags of the plateau rim. Along with the main Cairngorm range between Speyside and Deeside, the guidebook covers Lochnagar. It includes practical information on snack stops, public transport and accommodation, as well as a route summary table and scrambles summary.
Our Verdict
For nearly 50 years Cicerone have been producing guidebooks on recognised treks, regions, areas and general tips for hikers.
We have used them countless times and they've always provided excellent insight and knowledge that you only get through experience, giving you the edge to make your trip a success and more enjoyable too.
If you're a gram counter you can easily remove sections of the book to take with you making your own ultra-lightweight guidebook with only the essential sections that you require.
- Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear
Features
- Seasons: Snow on tops December-April. May/June best for all routes. July/August bring midges and heat
- Centres: Aviemore, Glenmore village, Kingussie, Newtonmore, Tomintoul, Cock Bridge, Ballatar, Braemar
- Difficulty: Walks on mountains (900m+), mid-level hills and low-level routes. Some scrambling. All routes graded for height and difficulty
- Must See: Macdui, Cairn Gorm, Braeriach, Cairn Toul, Lochnagar; river walks along the Spey, Nethy, Avon and Dee; scrambles. Through routes include Lairig Ghru
Specifications
- Edition: Second
- Number of pages: 320
- Size: 17.2 x 11.6 x 1.8cm
- Weighs 370g
Contents
Introduction
Cairngorms: the highs and the lows
Walking conditions
When to go
Safety in the mountains
Maps
How to use this book
Part 1 Aviemore and the Spey
1 Grantown and Spey
2 Spey at Boat of Garten
3 Craigellachie Birches
4 Geal-charn Mor
5 Around Loch an Eilein
6 Ord Ban
7 Argyll Stone
Part 2 Glen More
8 Gleann Einich and the Sgorans
9 Creag a’ Chalamain and the Cat Notch
10 Down Cairn Gorm
11 Lochan Uaine
12 Meall a’ Bhuachaille
13 Creag Mhor and Bynack More
14 Beinn Mheadhoin
Summit Summary: Cairn Gorm
15 Bynack More and the Saddle
16 Strath Nethy and the Saddle
17 Lairig an Lui, Loch Avon, Coire Raibert
18 Lochan na Beinne and Cnap Coire na Spreidhe
19 Coire Cas (descent)
20 Coire an t-Sneachda: Headwall (scramble Grade 1)
21 Coire an t-Sneachda: Pygmy Ridge (scramble Grade 3)
22 Coire an t-Sneachda: Goat Path
23 Fiacaill Ridge of Coire an t-Sneachda (scramble Grade 1)
24 Lurcher’s Crag
25 Plateau route from Macdui
Shelter Stone Summary
26 Strath Nethy and the Saddle
27 Lairig an Lui, Loch Avon
28 To Coire Cas or Cairn Gorm by Coire Raibert
29 From Coire Cas by Coire Domhain
30 From Linn of Dee by Loch Etchachan
31 To Ben Macdui by Loch Etchachan
32 To Carn Etchachan by Pinnacle Gully (scramble Grade 1)
33 Forefinger Pinnacle (scramble Grade 3)
34 To Ben Macdui by Avon Slabs (scramble Grade 1 or 2)
Summit Summary: Ben Macdui
35 From Lairig Ghru by Tailor Burn
36 From Derry Lodge by Carn a’ Mhaim
37 Sron Riach
38 Via Derry Cairngorm
39 Coire Etchachan
40 From Coire Cas
41 Plateau route from Cairn Gorm
Part 3 Badenoch
42 Badenoch Way
43 Insh to Aviemore
44 Druid Circle at Dalraddy
45 Take an Insh
46 Carn Dearg Mor
47 Mullach Clach a’ Bhlair by Coire Garbhlach
48 Badan Mosach waterfall
49 Summer Road to Ruthven
50 Glen Tromie: Croidh-la
51 Creag Bheag
Summit Summary: Braeriach
52 From Glenmore by Chalamain Gap and Sron na Lairige
53 From Rothiemurchus by Sron na Lairige
54 Gleann Einich and Coire Ruadh
55 Gleann Einich and Coire Dhondail
56 Coire Dhondail scramble (scramble Grade 1)
57 South Ridge of Coire Bhrochain
58 Ridge route from Cairn Toul
Summit Summary: Cairn Toul
59 Coire Odhar
60 Great Moss
61 East Ridge (scramble Grade 1)
62 Northeast Ridge of Angel’s Peak (scramble Grade 1)
63 Corrie of the Chokestone Gully
64 Ridge route from Braeriach
Part 4 Glenlivet and Tomintoul
65 Hills of Cromdale
66 Carn Daimh
67 Around the Brown
68 Glen Brown and Ailnack Ravine
69 Ben Avon by its River
70 Tors of Ben Avon
71 Cnap Chaochan Aitinn
72 Ailnack Upper Ravine
Part 5 Donside
73 Carn Ealasaid
74 Brown Cow Hill
75 Don to Ben Avon
Part 6 Deeside Braemar
76 Clais Fhearnaig
77 Derry Cairngorm by Lochan Uaine
78 The Happy Face of Beinn a’ Chaorainn
79 Dee and Derry
80 Around Glen Geusachan
81 The Devil’s Back Side
82 Glen Quoich
83 Beinn a’ Bhuird
84 Carn na Drochaide and the Fairy Glen
85 Morrone Birkwood and the Dee
86 Morrone and Glen Ey
87 Creag nan Gabhar
88 White Mounth and Jock’s Road
Part 7 Balmoral and Lochnagar
89 Balmoral Castle
90 Craigendarroch and the Dee
91 Around Loch Muick
92 Dubh Loch and Broad Cairn
93 Creag an Dubh-loch
Summit Summary: Lochnagar
94 Queen Victoria’s Ballochbuie Route
95 Byron’s scramble by the Stuic (scramble Grade 1)
96 Tracks from Balmoral
97 Meall Coire na Saobhaidhe
98 Tourist path from Spittal of Glenmuick
99 Conachcraig
100 Loch na Gaire
101 Falls of Glas Allt (descent)
102 From Loch Callater
The Long Routes
The Cairngorms 4000s
The Lairig Ghru
Appendix A Route summary
Appendix B Access
Appendix C Mountain bothies
Appendix D Gaelic place names
Appendix E Lists of hills
Appendix F Scrambles summary and grading
Appendix G Accommodation and information
Appendix H Further reading
