White Mounth Munros, Glen Muick

1. Park at the large car park at the end of the public road up Glen Muick; there is a charge, which goes towards footpath restoration. Continue along the track to the Spittal of Glen Muick, where there is a small wooden visitor centre and toilets. Lochnagar is the first peak on this route, so turn up the track to the right here. Follow this across the flat floor of the glen, soon crossing a bridge over the River Muick. At the far side of the glen, the track reaches the forestry surrounding the Balmoral Estate's various buildings at Allt-na-guibhsaich. Follow the path up through the woods to gain the track which ascends beside the stream. After just under a kilometre of uphill the track crosses to the north side of the Allt na Guibhsaich; this is usually easily crossed. Pass above the minor gorge of Clais Rathadan and follow the track round to the right.

2. Further on, take the clear branch path leading off to the left - this is the main path for Lochnagar, and has been improved in recent years by stone-pitching. Follow the path as it climbs towards the bealach or col visible between the main bulk of Lochnagar on the left, and its outlying peak of Meikle Pap. The path passes a memorial to Bill Stuart, a climber who was killed on the cliffs in 1953. As you approach the bealach, the main Lochnagar path diverts off to the left, but it is really worth continuing ahead to the bealach itself. Here, the massive but domed and stony hills of the walk so far are replaced by a view across Lochnagar's famous northern corrie, a magnificent curve of buttresses cradling a small lochan. If you have the energy, you can divert up to the summit of Meikle Pap on the right for the best views.

Photo: Kinley

3. Climb fairly directly up the slope on the left, known as the Ladder. This slope is covered with large boulders and care is needed; in winter this slope is notorious for avalanches. Above the Ladder the slope eases onto a flatter plateau. Follow the edge of the cliffs (not too closely!) round to the right; in good weather you can peer down the gullies to the lochan below. As the cliffs curve to the northwest, there is another ascent, and the minor cairn on a boulder at Cac Carn Mor is just beyond. Continue to reach the viewpoint indicator on the pointed rocky outcrop at Cac Carn Beag, the true summit of Lochnagar, which a magnificent viewpoint for Deeside and the Cairngorms massif. Lochnagar was climbed by Queen Victoria, who wrote of the summit 'it was cold, wet and cheerless, and the wind was blowing a hurricane.' Hopefully you are luckier!

4. Return to the Cac Carn Beag but this time follow the path which heads southwest across the plateau. Across a shallow bealach, the path ascends towards the rocky prow of The Stuic, which is worth detouring to for its view down to Loch nan Eun and across the Dee valley. Although The Stuic is the finest prominence on this part of the walk, the Munro summit of the White Mounth is Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach, which is reached by a detour of about half a kilometre to the south. A local legend says that when all the snows here melt, the day of doom is drawing near - these days the snows melt every summer so perhaps Global warming has been more dramatic than previously thought! Head northwest to regain the old stalkers path, turning left onto it as it descends across the flank of the hill and crosses the Allt an Da Chraobh Bheath.

5. The domed hill to the north here is Carn an t-Sagairt Beag, a humble top; to reach the next Munro, continue on the stalkers path until after it crosses a second stream, and then strike northwest uphill as soon as the going is straightforward. This brings you to the cairn on the summit of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor, Munro no.3 at 1047 metres. Descend southeast from the cairn to the wide, featureless bealach. This is truly bleak country, and navigation could be difficult in bad weather; the summit of Munro no.4, Cairn Bannoch at 1012 metres, is easier to spot in better conditions, with its cairn atop an outcrop, itself topping a small conical peak. Continue southeast, bypassing Cairn of Gowal, to gain an ever improving path to the final Munro, Broad Cairn. This summit can be avoided on its south side by a stalkers path, but today's bagging generation of walkers have blazed a new path over the summit cairn. This is a better viewpoint, with Loch Muick in view, whilst to the northwest the plateau collapses in the great precipices of Creag an Dubh Loch - a crag which in recent times has approached the popularity of Lochnagar itself.

Photo: munrowalker

6. Continue east from the summit, soon descending to join a bulldozed track across the plateau. Follow this as it curves southeast before it curves back left to come close to the edge of the steep slopes above Loch Muick. The track runs across the top of these slopes for some distance, giving excellent views of the Loch, before it reaches the end of the plateau and descends in a series of zigzags. Cross the bridge over the Black Burn and continue on the track which still keeps some height above Loch Muick. Pass close to the boathouse near the foot of the loch, and continue straight ahead on the track to return to the Spittal of Glenmuick.

Photo: munrowalker

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