This route first follows a Planet Trail through Glenmulliach Forest and then climbs to a moorland viewpoint overlooking Tomintoul and the surrounding hills. Discover model planets with each step representing 900,000km of the solar system, the walk also passes a wildlife hide.
Bog Factor
Waymarked path and tracks, steep with steps in places
Glenmulliach forest car park.
None to start.
NJ193167
Start the walk from the Glenmulliach Forest car park, part of the Glenlivet Estate and within the Cairngorms Dark Sky Park. Here there is a model of the sun for the start of the Planet Trail which this walk follows at the start. The sizes of the sun and planets - and the distances between them - are all to scale, giving an impression of the vastness of space. Begin by heading up the track, soon passing a tiny Mecury, then Venus and Earth.
After 300m ignore a track turning sharp right (to a house) and keep ahead. Soon turn left onto a path waymarked for the planet trail. Cross a bridge and soon head up through the trees, passing Jupiter and bearing right at Saturn.
Eventually a wooden hide is reached on your left. The hide overlooks the glen where the forestry has been thinned and in some places cleared and replanted with native species to try and increase the biodiversity of the area.
Continue on the path and when a track is reached turn right to head uphill. Further on, ignore a track on the right (this is the return route) and continue out of the trees. Pass a small pool used as a water resource in case of forest fires and go through a gate and continue uphill. The track now climbs through open heather moorland. Turn right at a junction and head uphill, with great views looking back
After 600m from the junction there is a viewpoint with bench and indicator on the right hand side. Here you can see the names of the hills, farms and villages visible from here. From the viewpoint retrace your steps back down to the track junction in the forest; this time keep turn left to follow the track on the south side of the Allt Mulliach.
The track heads through the forest with a fence on your right for much of the way. At a T-junction turn right downhill and at the next junction turn left to return down the outward track to return to the sun at the car park.
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