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Munros
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Creag Leacach (987m, Munro 159)
Glas Maol (1068m, Munro 69)
Cairn of Claise (1064m, Munro 71)
Tom Buidhe (957m, Munro 204)
Tolmount (958m, Munro 202)
Carn an Tuirc (1019m, Munro 113)
Carn Aosda (917m, Munro 278)
Carn a'Gheoidh (975m, Munro 180)
The Cairnwell (933m, Munro 245)
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Ascent
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1690m (5,550ft)
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Distance
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30km (19m)
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Time
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walking : 10:15hr*, running : 4hr
*Naismith's rule : 4km/h distance + 600m/h ascent
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Main route summary
With 9 Munros forming a high-level circuit above Glenshee, this is the easiest way to go multi-Munro-bagging !
For the most part, the route over these Munros follows good tracks and paths, however the areas around Tolmount and Tom Buidhe are featureless and pathless and require careful navigation in mist.
With just 1,690m of ascent over a distance of 30km, the climbs are generally gentle and over grassy ground.
In winter, the mountain-hares on Creag Leacach abound, darting with ease over the crisp snow.
Winter also hides the ugly scars that have been created by the ski-tows.
The main route described below is the line used for the Glenshee 9 Munros Hillrace. There are also two other routes described taking in other peaks to the north and to the south-east.
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profile
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location
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start/finish
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Bridge 1km NE of Achfary
(grid ref : NO141775)
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maps/guides
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GPX data
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download GPX file of this route
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| terrain |
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easy |
| difficult |
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| navigation |
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easy |
| testing |
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| effort |
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stroll |
| long day |
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| scenery |
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ok |
| stunning |
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| meanings |
Creag Leacach :
'slabby rock'
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Glas Maol :
'grey-green hill'
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Cairn of Claise :
'hill of the hollow'
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Tom Buidhe :
'yellow hill'
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Tolmount :
'valley hill'
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Carn an Tuirc :
'hill of the wild boar'
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Carn Aosda :
'ancient hill'
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Carn a'Gheoidh :
'hill of the goose'
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The Cairnwel :
'hill of the peat hags'
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| main route outline | print route |
Glenshee Ski Centre is just below the col on the highest point on the A93 south of Braemar. Unless skiing conditions are tolerable, there are no parking problems !
Creag Leacach
Park at highest point on the A93, just south of Glenshee ski centre.
From the track that starts by the mast, aim north-east uphill for ½km, then turn south east, still following the track.
Continue up to Meall Odhar (ski-tow and cairn mark summit).
Pick up a path on right just before pull up Glas Maol Path turns south and contours Glas Maol then pick up fence posts.
Over grassy ground, follow posts south, watch out to avoid tripping over wires.
Fence posts join a wall with a shelter at sharp turn in wall.
Ground gets bouldery, follow the wall to Creag Leacach, over one bump on way - good views south from the summit cairn.
Glas Maol
Return along wall to fence posts, then continue following the posts most of way up Glas Maol.
Turn east just before the hill flattens, then follow another line of posts to the large summit cairn around the trig point.
Suprisingly not great views from here, due to the bulk of the summit !
Cairn of Claise
Aim north over grassy ground to pick up a track coming from the west.
Stick to the track for over 2km to just under Cairn of Claise's summit boulders.
A large, well-constructed symetrical cairn rises from the wall that crosses the hill.
Tom Buidhe
Follow the wall to its end, then bear due east over grassy ground.
A faint path with occasional iron posts can be picked up and followed - not the easiest ground to navigate in mist !
The last kilometre up Tom Buidhe's grassy slope is reached via a faint path.
Only a small pile of stones mark the summit - not any shelter here !
Tolmount
Return for around ½km, then take another path north-west, turning north-north-east.
Pick up some iron posts to follow to the summit of Tolmount.
Some boulders on this top have encouraged a larger cairn to be thrown together than that on Tom Buidhe.
Amazing how close Lochnagar is from here.
Carn an Tuirc
Return south-east-south for ½km following the fence-posts and path, turn right (west), continuing on the faint path to the lowest point.
The path disappears !
Head north-west over grassy and sometimes wet ground.
Climbing initially, then contouring before descending to the bealach between Cairn of Claise and Carn an Tuirc.
A path is picked up, follow this, taking the lower one at the split.
The path continues over easy ground to a large flat summit area, where the terrain gets more difficult.
Continue over boulders and stones to the cairn of Carn an Tuirc.
Carn Aosda
Leave the cairn heading west-north-west to find a path that picks its way through the scree then the heather downhill.
As the path flattens, the going gets wetter until the burn is reached.
Crossing this can be slightly difficult in spate.
From here, a good path winds its way following the burn back to the old bridge below the A93.
Cross the road and strike directly uphill through fairly thick heather (and no path) to reach the northern arm of Carn Aosda.
When the ground levels out, the heather disappears and the terrain eases, the bouldery summit is not much further !
Carn a'Gheoidh
From Carn Aosda's summit, follow the wide track around the top of the ski-tows and down the bealach.
At the bealach, don't continue on the track, look for a faint path on the right.
This crosses wet ground to the col between the Cairnwell and Carn nan Sac.
A good path is picked up and followed south-west to the lochan.
Turn around the south edge of the lochan, following a fainter path aiming directly towards Carn a'Gheoidh.
The path continues to the large cairn on summit over easy ground with only one short steep section
The Cairnwell
Return to the bealach before the Cairnwell and look for a scarred path on the right scratching its way through the heather and rubble.
Pick up a track which continues past the top of the chair lift and to the huts and masts on Cairnwell's summit.
Although untidy, Cairnwell's summit is a fine viewpoint in all directions.
Return
From the summit strike directly downhill over steep and heathery ground back to the car-park.
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From Creag Leacach to the A93 and the Cairnwell
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Glas Maol and the wall along Creag Leacach
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A small hidden shelter below Glas Maol
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Heading over to Cairn of Claise from Glas Maol
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Lunch on the summit of Cairn of Claise
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Heading up Tolmount
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The undulating moorland before Tom Buidhe
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On the summit of Carn an Tuirc
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Crossing the Allt a'Gharbh-choire
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Back towards the Cairnwell from the lowest point on the route
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Carn an Tuirc on the way up Carn Aosda
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A spring day highlighting Carn an Tuirc's rocky summit
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Carn Aosda from the ski-centre
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Running along down from Carn Aosda
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The summit of The Cairnwell
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The Cairnwell from Carn Aosda
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The summit of The Cairnwell
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The summit of The Cairnwell
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Glen Ey and the Cairnwell Munros Ascent : 2775m, distance : 43km
Carn a'Gheoidh, The Cairnwell and Carn Aosda can be combined with the five Glen Ey Munros setting off from Baddoch.
Tolmount and Tom Buidhe can be combined with Dreish and Mayar, heading in from Glen Doll
Glen Ey and the Cairnwell munros
Ascent : 2775m, distance : 43km
It's fairly straightforward to combine Carn a'Gheoidh, The Cairnwell and Carn Aosda with the five Glen Ey munros setting off from Baddoch.
An Socach
Start by a forest plantation 6km north of Glenshee Ski Centre on the A93. Head through the gate in the deer fence, then follow the track past the house at Baddoch for 3km, to cross a burn (moderately difficult in spate), then head up a path over heather to a cairn at 720m.
A path continues up heather, then boulderfield to An Socach's east summit. Head south-west, follow the plateau over more boulderfield to the two cairns on An Socach's west summit.
Carn Bhac
Aim downhill on An Socach's north ridge north and cross the Allt an Odhar.
Staying on the north side of the Alltan Odhar, an obvious path progressively becomes fainter and eventually disappears in to the heather.
Further up on Carn Bhac's gentle heather covered slopes, bands of stones are crossed, which indicate the summit is not much further.
Stoney ground on the summit surrounds the large cairn and views are quite exceptional considering this hill's flat shape and diminutive height when compared to the mountains all around.
Beinn Iuthan Mhor
From Carn Bhac's summit, head south-west for the col, from where the route around the top (marked 920 on map) to continue south to the next rise, is obvious. In mist however, due to the featureless ground, it may be wiser to attain the top, then bear south for 1km over the grass and peat hags. Continue over the rise (marked 818) down to the base of a dip, then climb up a gentle rise (on a very faint path), to reach the bottom of Beinn Iutharn's bouldery north-east shoulder. There's no choice but to head up the steep loose terrain ahead ! Once on the shoulder's crest, an obvious path is followed around the northern coire to the tidy cairn on the summit.
Carn an Righ
Leave the cairn and head south, then south-east-south for just under 1km over grass to a col. A path appears, follow this south, then south-west-south around Mam nan Carn, then pick up this hill's bouldery south-west shoulder and continue to the peat-hagged bealach below Carn an Righ. Follow a badly erroded path up the heather to the bouldery areas higher up and the summit cairn with its fine vista over Beinn a'Ghlo.
Glas Tulaichean
Return to the bealach, then leave the path and bound over heather to follow a burn south-east down to the grassy foot of Glas Tulaichean. Aim ses directly up hill on grassy, occasionally wet and ever steepening ground to reach the hill's western shoulder with its fence posts and track. The fence posts continue to the summit with its lonely trig point. Being elevated from all its immediate neighbours, this hill has some fine views in all directions.
Carn a'Gheoidh, The Cairnwell and Carn Aosda
Staying on a path, leave the summit and head north-east following occasional fence-posts.
The path continues down to 800m, where you have a choice to go around, or climb up over a 50m hillock - go up and you'll be rewarded with a view over Loch nan Eun, so called due to the number of gulls that nest there in the breeding season.
Cross the burn coming out of the loch, and now on pathless heather covered ground, climb up Carn a'Chlarsaich then head over grass then heather to the col below Carn Bhinnein.
Up Carn Bhinnein, then reach the large cairn on Carn A'Gheoidh, followed by The Cairnwell and Carn Aosda as described in the main route.
From Carn Aosda, head north east over boulders then deep heather down to the car-park on the A93, just 2km south of the start, for a quick jog back along the road.
Tolmount and Tom Buidhe with Dreish and Mayar
Ascent : 1375m, distance : 26km
Tolmount and Tom Buidhe can be combined with Dreish and Mayar, heading in from Glen Doll, however it souldd be noted that the featureless ground will really test your navigation skills in mist.
Getting there
The nearest town is Kirriemuir to the south, from where roadside signs point to Glen Clova. In Glen Clova the road forms a circular route on either side of the River Clova, where supposedly an unofficial clockwise one-way system is in place. At Glen Clova Inn a bridge is crossed and a narrow road is followed for just under 6km to a large car-park. At my last visit, it cost £2 to park here.
Dreish
From the car-park, follow the track north-west, pass some farm buildings, through a gate and come to a junction. At this junction, turn left and walk down to a bridge. Beyond the bridge the track veeres right, which is followed for 400m to a sharp turn. Look for a path aiming directly uphill. Follow this path, which crosses another track further on. The path climbs up what used to be thick forest, but will felling, the now open views look over an untidy mess. Further on, the remaining forest is entered and the Burn of Kilbo is reached and crossed (with care in spate). The path exits the forest and climbs up below the crest of Shank of Druimfollow to meet with a cairn just before reaching the bealach between Dreish and Mayar. The cairn marks a junction in the path - turn to the left and follow the path as it drops slightly, then climbs initially hugging the edge of the corrie. The path becomes fainter and travels to the summit of Driesh with a cairn sheltering its trig point.
Mayar
Return to the bealach, climb up ahead, following a few fence posts partically buried in the grass and rocks. Upon reaching the top of Shank of Druimfollow, turn left (west) then continue on fairly level ground, following fence posts east until a Right-of-Way sign at a sharp corner on the fence line is reached. At this point, leave the fence behind and on a very obvious and worn path, continue westwards. The ground rises and becomes more bouldery as the summit of Mayar is attained.
Tom Buidhe and Tolmount
Leave Mayar and head north-west following the fence-posts over pathless grassy ground. It's 6km on fairly featureless grass and peat-hagged ground to cross Dun Hillocks and Little Kilrannoch and arrive at Tom Buidhe. Over to Tolmount as described in the main route, then follow the fence posts east-north-east for 600m then turn east for 300m, and south-east to reach the small cairn on Crow Craggies. From this top, head south-east to pick up Jock's Road and follow this excellent route down, past the grassed-over shelter, down into Glen Doll and back to the car-park.
North
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Ben Avon Munro group
Unusual summit volcanic tors sit above an area full of wildlife.
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North-east
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Lochnagar and the Munro circuit above Loch Muick
The famed dark coire of Lochnagar is a favourite winter climbing area. Alternative includes approach from Lochallater.
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East
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Dreish and Mayar
With fine paths and short distance, this pair make for a good introduction to hillwalking
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West
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Glen Ey Munros
A cycle down to Altanour Lodge ruin from where a fine munro-bagging circuit begins.
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