This excellent circuit through the pinewoods and fields east of Braemar offers some superb viewpoints, as well as the opportunity to visit Braemar Castle.
Waymarked footpaths throughout. A fair amount of ascent is involved.
Regular bus service between Braemar and Aberdeen.
Braemar village centre.
The walk starts from the centre of Braemar; if you turn off the A93 onto the Linn of Dee road into the village, turn left to reach a car park. To begin the walk, head up the pedestrian ramp from the car park up to the A93. The walk now heads up the lane starting to the left of the church, with a green wooden signpost. Continue along this lane for around 300m until it curves to the right; here continue ahead into the woods through the large gate.
Just inside the woods, a finger-post sign indicates the route; take the path which heads straight on, signed for Lion's Face and Queen's Drive. Pass a wooden beehive wildlife hide, and ignore smaller paths off on either side. When the path reaches a clear fork, keep on the main route which is the left fork. The walk now climbs up through the pinewoods, again staying on the main path. Another junction is reached at a small bench; bear right here. Eventually the path passes through a gap in a tumbledown stone wall and then follow this to the right, emerging from the woods onto a wide path at a wooden signpost.
The piles of stones to the right are all that remains of a cottage which was the home of Mr and Mrs Thompson. They were relatives of John Brown, Queen Victoria's famous servant, and the Queen often came here with him to bring tobacco and tea to the Thompsons. The wide path heading downhill to the right here is still known as the Queen's Drive; it makes a fine walk in its own right and leads to the A93, which can then be followed back into Braemar. Our route, however, turns left on a beautifully made path, and has views towards the Cairngorms.
After a short distance the path reaches a bench at an even better viewpoint; the backdrop of the Cairngorms now has a wonderful foreground of the Dee valley; the massive and ornate stately home that can be seen is not Braemar Castle as might be thought; it is Invercauld House, still the private home of the Farquharson family. To the left can be seen the tors along the summit of Ben Avon. Continue along the path, soon passing beneath a rocky crag. This is the Lion's Face, but the resemblance is only apparent from across the valley; today the view of the rocks can be obscured by the trees.
Beyond the Lion's Face the path begins to slope downhill; soon it crosses a bridge over a small burn. At a path junction turn sharp left (the path ahead links to Keiloch), soon recrossing the burn on another footbridge. Once down to valley level a track is reached and the A93 can be seen through the trees to the right. Turn left here, then right onto a path between the track and the road. Soon the path climbs up to the right of a quarry. The route passes a small trench - constructed during World War Two by Braemar's Home Guard, before sloping back down to a gate beside the A93. The walk continues by turning left uphill on the far side, but first it is worth turning right and crossing the road (with care) to have a closer look at Braemar Castle. This is open to the public in the summer months.
Back across the road the route continues by climbing uphill beside the fence. Soon the fine viewpoint of the Cromlins is reached, looking across to Braemar and the Upper Dee valley through the fields; an indicator helps identify the distant peaks. Further on the path crosses a big stile to enter the forest. Continue through the trees on a rough path, being careful to follow the markers. Finally a junction is reached; the path to the left is the route up Creag Chòinnich which is an excellent way to extend the walk; otherwise turn right to follow the path back down to Braemar.
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