Walks Deeside

Author: Richard Hallewell

Re walked by: Ronnie, Grant & Ewan Mealyou and Mike Lumb

Deeside is one of Scotland’s classic walking areas: the peaks of the Cairngorms and Lochnagar, the hill routes over the Mounth to Angus and the pine woods of Deeside itself.  This was the first book we published in the series, and we packed it with as much content as we could manage: over 230 miles/370km of walking, including eight Munros and eight lineal hill crossings (which need to be walked there-and-back if you are struggling for transport).  As such, it is probably the toughest rewalk of them all, and it took a group of walkers to get it checked in good time this time around.

The quality of the walking is terrific: the high rounded peaks of Ben Macdui and Beinn a’ Bhuird; the long moorland treks of Jock’s Road and the Firmounth and Fungle; and the path around Loch Muick, in the shadow of Lochnagar – plus the splendid shorter walks through the pinewoods of Glen Tanar, over Creag Choinnich, around Loch Kinord and the splendid natural amphitheatre of Burn o’Vat (see bottom left), and others.  The area itself, centred around the villages of Braemar, Aboyne and Ballater, is a beautiful place to visit.

There were few major alterations this time around.  There was some adjustment made to the routes around Derry Lodge and Allanaquoich, and at the north end of the Fungle, but the only major addition was the new path at the north end of the route from Ballater to Glen Tanar (a useful addition, as it allows you to avoid walking along the narrow B976).  That apart, only the usual minor changes were made to route descriptions and signage.