The Balmoral Cairns, Balmoral, Crathie

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Summary

Explore the historical cairns erected by the Royal Family on the Balmoral Estate on this superb circuit, with great views over Deeside and Balmoral Castle itself. This walk is not advised when the Royal Family is in residence; at all times the privacy of those living at the Castle and estate houses should be respected. The route is not waymarked and so requires careful navigation.

Grade (key)

Bog Factor (key)

4.5/5

Rating

Terrain

Woodland paths and tracks, can very muddy in one or two places.

Public Transport

Bus to Crathie from Ballater and Braemar.

Start

Car park at Crathie (charge). Open in Google Maps.

Walk Statistics

Distance: 9.5km / 6 miles
Time: 2.5 - 3 hours
Ascent: 371m (Profile)
Start Grid Ref: NO262949

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Walk Description

User reports (12)

Stage 1

Start from the car park (charge) at Crathie, where there are toilets. From the kiosk/shop turn right, following a minor road downhill away from the car park entrance. At a fork near a large house bear left to stay on the road. Further on a t-junction is reached - turn right here, and follow the road until it reaches the river. Cross the suspension bridge directly ahead, then turn right at the road and finally left at the next junction, signed for Lochnagar Distillery. Turn right at a junction to cross a small road bridge. Do not continue ahead into the village, instead turn left immediately after the bridge to follow a private road heading uphill, passing a number of cottages (there is a very small cairn symbol to indicate the way). Please respect the privacy of the householders. Ignore the signed path off left for Prince Albert's Cairn - this is used on the return.

Stage 2

After around 500m the track passes a final house on the right-hand side. Follow the track through the wooden gate ahead and then almost immediately turn sharp right up a grassy path to pass through another gate and then along behind the cottage. Descend to reach a path junction, where you turn left uphill into the pines. Continue through the trees above a small dry gorge; eventually the path crosses a bridge above it. Bear right at a t-junction onto another path.

Stage 3

The first cairn is easy to miss; after just 50m or so from the path junction look for a rough path on the left and head steeply up this; it leads to Princess Helena's cairn. Return to the path by the same route and turn left to continue along it. Continue until Princess Louise's cairn on a rocky knoll on the left, erected in honour of her marriage to the Marquis of Lorne in 1871. The easiest way to visit the base of this cairn is to continue past it on the main path and then take a clear path on the left that leads back to it. The next cairn is reached by a short detour to the right from the path. The Purchase Cairn was erected in October 1852 to commemorate the purchase of the estate by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It has a superb view down Deeside.

Stage 4

Return to the main path and continue downhill. Keep right at two junctions and continue downhill briefly, until Prince Leopold's cairn is seen, reached by a short detour to the left. This cairn directly overlooks Balmoral Castle. It was purchased by Queen Victoria in 1848 and largely remodelled under the direction of Prince Albert. From here return to the main path and turn right to retrace your steps to the earlier junction; this time keep to the right.

Stage 5

Ignore another path coming in from the left. After a short distance keep your eye out for a faint path running through the woods on the right. This leads to Prince Arthur's cairn, erected to mark his marriage in 1870. The cairn has a good outlook over Deeside. From here return to the path you just left (you can cut a corner by continuing on a narrow path back to it) and turn right along it once more. Turn right again at the next junction.

Stage 6

At the next junction turn left on a path through the pines. This eventually passes Princess Alice's cairn. Continue on the grassy track which curves right and heads downhill to meet another grassy track (a surfaced track is visible ahead but stay on the higher track). Turn left, following this until it emerges onto the main track. Turn left and follow this for some distance, until a gate across the track. Go through this and turn right, following a track that briefly dips and then climbs through the woods. Before the end of the trees look out for a path on the left, opposite a small boulder. This heads steeply up to eventually reach the massive stone pyramid erected for Prince Albert.

Stage 7

The inscription reads, 'To the beloved memory of Albert the great and good Prince Consort. Erected by his broken hearted widow Victoria R. 21st August 1862'. Follow the path leading south east from the cairn. This soon bends to the left to head northwards downhill on a well made path. After passing an open area with a view of the distillery, pass Princess Beatrice's cairn amongst the trees. Go through a metal gate to reach the road taken on the outward route. From here, turn right to begin retracing your steps back to Crathie car park. Turn right again in Easter Balmoral, then left onto the minor road that leads down to the B976. Go right and then left to cross the suspension bridge, then left at the junction to return to the start.

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