Braemar - Queen's Drive - Lion's Face Circular

Ian Cordiner

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This very pleasant, circular walk starts at the western end of the village. It provides opportunities for magnificent views over the valley of the River Dee and the Cairngorm Mountains. After passing a duck-pond the walk gradually rises through moorland of heather and juniper bushes.

On reaching a cairn containing a plaque which helps you to identify many mountains in the region, the path continues through some open woodland and through a small caravan site, leading to a golf course. This route allows you to cross the River Clunie and gain access to the land south-west of the village. Here the walk follows a route once favoured by Queen Victoria. A number of information boards are dotted along this section to entertain the visitor.

After a gradual ascent the walk then levels off and goes round the side of a rock formation known as the Lion's Face. Unfortunately, as the path takes you so close to the rocks, the tree-cover now makes it difficult to appreciate the formation.

The walk next continues through more woodland of larch and pine. It then descends again and follows a low-level path close to the A93 and the River Dee. Look out for more historical artefacts on the way in the form of the site of a Home Guard lookout post.

On the way back to the village the route passes Braemar Castle, where the Jacobite standard was raised in 1715. The castle, which is run by the community, is open to the public with restricted opening times. In the village there are toilets and many opportunities for refreshment.

Scotland - Northeast Scotland - Aberdeenshire - Cairngorms

Features

Birds, Castle, Flowers, Food Shop, Hills or Fells, Lake/Loch, Moor, Mountains, Pub, River, Tea Shop, Toilets, Wildlife, Woodland

8/16/2015 - phil djokic

We started this walk from Braemar caravan site,turned right out of the site and picked the route up at waypoint nine,great walk walking back into braemar we stopped and had lunch at the invercauld hotel,lovely food.

8/8/2015 - Mike Taylor

08/08/2015. At Waymark 12 the instructions take you along a narrow grass verge beside the busy A93. An alternative option is to turn left and head uphill following the sign 'Braemar via the Cromlins 1 mile'. Initially this is a steepish climb on a good path to the Cromlins Viewpoint then through woodland to a T-junction at NO157914, turn right here and descend to exit woodland on to Hillside Drive, turn right and follow road back to village centre. If you still have the energy try turning left at the T-junction and heading uphill to the summit of Creag Choinnich, a steep climb on a good path but the best views of the walk.

11/16/2010 - Walkingworld Administrator

Our thanks to Ian Runcie for his updates for this walk. November 2010.