Ben Avon via Gleann an-Slugain
Braemar and Ballater
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1. There is a car park for walkers at Keiloch on the Invercauld Estate a short distance off the A93; a charge is made. Begin the walk along the tarmac lane signed as a public footpath to the Linn of Quoich. Continue along this road, passing the attractive estate houses. If the weather is clear, there are fine views of Beinn a' Bhuird ahead, but Ben Avon itself is initially out of sight. The track soon passes through some pinewoods and above the back of the grand castellated mansion of Invercauld House. Ignore the waymarked paths which go off to the right.
2. Continue along the lane to Alldourie, being sure to take the branch that slopes back down to the glen floor beyond. It then runs through forestry until reaching a signposted fork; the left branch goes across the river and leads to the Linn of Quoich; instead take the right branch, signed for Slugain. This soon leaves the trees and runs along the edge of the forestry beside the stream, before the plantations are left behind altogether and the track continues up the bleak central section of the glen.
Photo ©Nigel Brown, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
3. A couple of kilometres further on track becomes a path, the glen narrows beyond and is clothed with some birchwoods. The route soon forks; you can either take a higher route that keeps to the north side of the upper glen, or you can cross the stream and follow a better path up the glen floor. This section is known locally as the 'Fairy Glen' and is a delightfully hidden fold in the hills. It is also infamous in the hillwalking world as being the location of the 'secret howff' – a tiny and well-hidden bothy whose whereabouts has been kept a closely guarded secret – so you'll have to find it for yourself! The path passes the roofless ruins of Slugain lodge and a tiny lodge before the higher route joins back in from the right.
Photo ©Nigel Brown – showing the higher route. Licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
4. The path now climbs gently to the pass at the head of the glen to overlook the upper reaches of Glen Quoich. Take the right hand fork to follow the path that keeps across the slopes well above the stream. A good path continues almost to the head of the glen, crossing the Glas Allt Mor. After crossing this stream you can either follow the path further and then turn right to reach the prominent boulder of Clach a'Cleirich, or you can climb more steeply directly to the boulder.
Photo ©Stuart Meek, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
5. A smaller path continues beside the Glas Allt Mor; continue the ascent to the bealach at the very head of the glen. Known as the Sneck, this bealach at over 970 metres is the high level link between Ben Avon and neighbouring Beinn a'Bhuird, enabling both to be climbed the same day by the very fit; there is a small hummock in the centre of the bealach that almost makes it a double pass. The view north into the wild Slochd Mor is dramatic, particularly looking to the left into the great climbers' corrie of the Garbh Coire.
Photo ©Nigel Brown, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
6. Turn right at the Sneck and continue the ascent to soon reach the vast plateau of Ben Avon, with wonderful views back into the Garbh Coire. Finding the summit on this high-level plain could be difficult if the mist is down, but in clear conditions it is easy as the huge tor of Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuidhe marks the true summit of Ben Avon. This is a short distance to the northeast across a shallow depression. Reaching the topmost rock is easy enough if the weather is calm but requires the use of the hands; go through the dip in the centre of the tor and then scramble up the other side.
Photo ©Stuart Meek, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
7. The return walk is usually made the same way. It can be varied a little by crossing the plateau in a south-southeast direction to the tiny cairn at 1089 metres of Carn Eas, and then descending a very steep right southwest and then south to rejoin the outward path where it crosses a stream at NO118979.
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