Bennachie is an iconic Aberdeenshire hill with many summits. This route - starting up the Maiden's Causeway Path - makes for a longer walk on Bennachie than our other options, visiting most of the tops with a good deal of ascent and descent.
Mostly good hillpaths; section to Watch Craig on rougher, muddier path.
None to start.
Rowantree car park.
The walk begins at the Rowantree car park, signed from the minor road between Chapel of Garioch and the A96 near Mill of Carden. There are picnic tables above the parking area, public toilets (summer only), and open views to the north. Head up the narrow path climbing directly into the trees near the information board. When it meets another path running across the slope, go straight ahead (signed Mither Tap, Maiden Causeway). At a second junction, go straight ahead again. Eventually the gradient lessens, the trees thin out, and the first objective - the Mither Tap - comes into view ahead.
Look out for a spring on the right; this is Hosie's Well, said to be fed from the tears of a heartbroken solider who lost his love after going to fight at the Battle of Harlaw below Bennachie. Continue the walk, going straight on at a junction (SP Mither Tap) - until almost below the dramatic tor that marks the summit. Here keep left at a sign, and then right at another, to follow the path as it leads through a breach in the massive tumbledown walls - the remains of the iron age fort here - before heading up climb steps up to the rocky granite summit.
From the top descend back down through the fort, heading back left at the path junction, and then left again at the next junction to follow the path round the west side of the massive granite tor; rockclimbers can sometimes be seen here. At the next junction turn left once more - now signed for Donview. The path makes a long descent of the moorland to the south, eventually reaching the fringes of Bennachie Forest.
At the saddle a junction is reached. You will return to this point later, but first make a detour to ascend Millstone Hill. Go straight ahead to head up to a track, then turn briefly left along this and then right onto a path once more (still SP for Donview). This path climbs up past a bench, and gives spectacular views back to the Mither Tap.
At a path junction turn right to continue up to the summit of Millstone Hill, marked by a cairn. Despite being lower than the other tops, this is perhaps the finest viewpoint, both for its vista of the Mither Tap, and for the view looking west up Strathdon. After enjoying it, retrace your steps all the way back to the first cross-paths at the saddle.
This time turn left onto the Gordon Way, soon bearing right to climb steeply through an area of forestry and felled areas, then heading across the slope with excellent views before climbing again onto the moorland. A junction is reached with the tor of Oxen Craig in view; you can shortcut the route by heading for this by turning right, but the complete route keeps left, remaining on the Gordon Way until below Watch Craig.
Keep straight ahead where a rough path comes in from the left, and at a second signpost, turn right onto an unmarked, rougher and often wet path climbing to the right of Watch Craig. On the saddle beyond a t-junction is reached; turn left to detour to the top of Watch Craig, the least visited of the summits, before returning to the t-junction and keeping straight ahead towards the highest summit of Bennachie, Oxen Craig. The path has a rocky section before the summit and its view indicator is reached.
Head to the cairn at the other end of the summit, which has a fine view to Insch, before turning right down the steps at the signed junction. Keep ahead at the next junction (signed for Mither Tap), then ignore the next rougher path on the left, but turn left at the junction after - heading towards the final summit, Craigshannoch. Below Craigshannoch turn right, then the next left is a short detour to the summit. Return to the path, keeping left at the next junction, to eventually rejoin the outward route on the Maiden Causeway. Turn left to descend this, retracing your steps back to the start.
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