Mortlich circuit, Aboyne

Head past the Loch of Aboyne and through the woods beyond to climb the steep hill of Mortlich for great views over Deeside.

Terrain

Varied walking on minor road, short section on golf course, woodland paths and tracks, very steep climb to summit of Morlich. Complex navigation.

Public Transport

Buses to Aboyne

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Start

Aboyne. Map and directions.

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Grade (key)

Bog Factor (key)

Walk Statistics

Distance: 10.25km/6.25 miles
Time: 3 - 3.5 hours
Ascent: 290m (Profile)
Grid Ref: NO528986

Maps / GPS

View / Print route map
Explorer 405 - Aboyne
GPS Waypoints - QUO 2
GPS Waypoints - GPX
View in 3D
Download walk to Google Earth (KMZ file)

Accommodation

Walk Description

Stage 1

Start in the centre of Aboyne where there is a car park outside the row of shops and Huntly Arms Hotel. From here cross the A93 to where the public toilets are and turn right to follow the pavement and verge past the entrance to Aboyne Castle and over the Tarland Burn. Next keep left on a residential road running parallel to the main road. Take the next left up Golf Road. As the road bends right continue straight ahead on the narrow road which soon leads to the golf course. Keep straight ahead and when the driveway curves right towards the clubhouse, continue ahead on the track.

Stage 2

When the path forks follow the main right branch which leads across the golf course - take care and give way to any golfers playing shots. The track comes close to the Loch of Aboyne and curves left; as it peters out look for a stile next to a large tree on the right - this provides access to the lochside path. Turn left along this path.

Stage 3

After a very short distance watch out for a path heading up to the left (near a marker post). From here the route is marked with blue arrows as it forms part of a detour from the Deeside Way, a long distance walking/cycle route along the line of the old railway - although the arrows point in the opposite direction to this circuit they are still useful as a guide. The path becomes clearer as it climbs up through open ground to the right of the golf course and heads into the woods. At a fork on the edge of the woods turn left heading uphill and when it reaches a fence turn left to follow a grassy track through trees.

Stage 4

The path leads to a wooden kissing gate after which it undulates before starting the steep climb up wooded Mortlich. Keep following the path in the opposite direction to the arrow way markers, and the views back start to be extensive over Deeside. Go through a kissing gate next to a metal farm gate to continue the uphill climb which soon reaches the large cairn on the far side of a fence. This is the site of a Pictish fort, and as well as the remains of an old iron cross which once stood atop a cemented cone of stones on top of the cairn, a carved stone records that the cairn was erected for the 10th Marquis of Huntly who died in 1863.

Stage 5

From the summit retrace your steps down the hill to the kissing gate and farm gate. Once through the gate turn left to follow the signed path that traverses the hillside with good views over Strathdee. After another wooden kissing gate follow a line of stepping stones across boggy ground before picking up a track through the gorse and heather. Where the track meets another at a T junction turn right to head downhill to another track where you turn left following the blue arrows in reverse.

Stage 6

Soon a surfaced road is reached, go over the stile next to the gate and continue ahead. Immediately after a cattle grid turn right to follow the line of the old Deeside railway (now leaving the blue arrows behind). Although the last trains ran until 1966 the path is now narrow and surrounded by trees, cross the stile into Rosehill Croft land and soon the path emerges onto a minor road. Turn right through the gateway and at the Loch of Aboyne pass in front of the restaurant/bar to pick up a path heading anti-clockwise around the Loch. Soon this reaches the point where you turned uphill earlier. Just beyond here climb the stile on the right and retrace the outward route over the golf course and down Golf Road to turn right along the A93 to return to the centre of Aboyne.

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Route Profile

Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is each walkers' responsibility to check it and navigate using a map and compass.