This beautiful circular walk leaves Braemar along the River Clunie before picking up the Queen's Drive - a carriage drive once favoured by Queen Victoria. This gently gains height and gives excellent views before a steeper descent through the woods leads back to Braemar.
Good paths throughout; ascent is gentle but descent steeper.
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, there is a car park immediately on the left. Head back to the street leading into the village from the car park, following it west over the bridge over the River Clunie, giving views over a low waterfall. On the far side turn left onto a minor road signed for the golf course. Note the 'engine' preserved as a memorial to servicemen who lost their lives in an aircrash over the hills in 1945.
Continue along the quiet road out of the village until a signpost for 'Queen's Drive' indicates a footbridge on the left. Cross the bridge over the Clunie then turn right to cross a second footbridge over a tributary. A grassy path now keeps to the right of the fence, with views over the river and Morrone Birkwood beyond.
After passing through a gate the path climbs gently and then swings away from the river, overlooking the golf course, to eventually meet the main A93 road. Cross this and pick up the path over the far side, turning right to head further from the village (a left turn here heads straight back to Braemar). The path begins to climb and then meets a track; turn sharp left here.
This is the Queen's Drive, and it rises gently through scattered birchwoods, giving some grand views to Braemar and beyond.
Eventually a green footpath signpost is reached. The piles of stones on the left here 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. To extend the walk, you could continue ahead from the sign to make the Lion's Face circuit; otherwise turn left as signed for 'Village Centre'.
The path now descends through the woods, running alongside a wall and then passing through a gap in it. When it meets a bench keep left, then continue ahead at further junctions as the route continues to descend. At the bottom of the woods a signpost is met where the route from the Lion's Face and Cromlins walk and the ascent route to Creag Choinnich come in from the right. Keep ahead here to leave the woods through a gate and reach the village. At the lane keep straight on to head past the church and back to the heart of the village opposite the car park.
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