This waymarked route makes a very varied circuit at mid-height around the lowly hill of Tom Beag. It has some fine views of Glen Avon, and later, Glen Brown.
Summary
Faint paths in places but well waymarked throughout.
Terrain
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1. Park the the White Bridge car park on the A939 between Bridge of Avon and Bridge of Brown. This walk is one of a number waymarked by the Glenlivet Estate, which belongs to the Crown Estates; on signs it is referred to as Walk No. 8. The walk begins up the Old Military Road, now a track running along the right edge of the Tom na Marbh plantation. After a few hundred metres the top is reached and the track runs downhill, passing through a gate and swinging to the right to avoid entering the forest.
2. The track soon zigzags back down to the line of the modern road; when it next swings left, leave it and continue ahead (waymark and a couple of steps). From here the path is faint but well marked by wooden posts; it climbs a little and passes under the pylons before reaching a bench; from here it runs across the slope, slightly downhill. Soon it passes through some stands of juniper bushes. There are excellent views of Glen Avon on this stretch.
3. Further on the path runs along beside a fence on the top edge of woodland; at the next fence cross the stile and now run along the bottom of another section of woods. This section leads to another stile; the path now slopes downhill through some fine deciduous woods. It then slopes alongside another fence to reach yet another stile; once over this you emerge onto a track; turn right onto this.
4. When the track forks, keep right. Almost immediately it forks again, this time you should keep left. Pass through a gate into a plantation of non-native spruces - the dullest section of this route. Luckily the trees are left behind at a gate after about a kilometre. Pass through the gate and turn right up the grassy moorland beside the trees. There are good views to the left into the wild upper reaches of Glen Brown.
5. There is a short descent at one point before the hill ahead rises once more; once you have passed the fence in the dip take a grassy track which forks off to the left rather than continuing up the hill. The track rises slightly and passes through a gap in a fence before beginning to descend across the slopes. It curves slightly to the right and passes alongside the ruins of an old farmhouse. There are several other ruined farms in view from here; the area must once have been more densely populated but economics have driven many hill-farmers out of business.
6. Eventually the track reaches and passes through a brief section of forestry. Pass through this and continue almost to the A939 close to the river. Just before reaching the road a waymarker indicates a turn to the right that enables you to ascend on grass and avoid the tarmac for a little longer. Slope up onto the main road; unfortunately from here on there is no alternative to continuing up the steep highway to return to the car park - taking great care with the traffic.
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