Ben Rinnes from Glen Rinnes and Dufftown

The col of Glack Harness

The A95 runs along the length of Speyside from Grantown-on-Spey towards Elgin overlooked by Ben Rinnes on its south side.

A minor unclassified road links the A95 with the B9009 in Glen Rinnes via the col of Glack Harness, and just below the highest point of this bealach is a parking area and gate to access the hill.

In summer and weekends with good weather, this col can be busy, with parking becoming a bit problematic.

Looking up the track to Ben Rinnes

The route begins from the car-park at the col, by a gate with several signs and a donation box.

Through the gate, an estate track aims south climbing gently at first. The track then becomes rougher as it twists, turns and climbs more steeply before leveling out and heading in a westerly direction.

The track continues to Roy's Hill above Ben Rinnes Wood, then gradually narrows into a path. As the path then climbs, it zig-zags to control errosion, above which it straightens for the final pull to the grassy summit plateau .

Summit of Ben Rinnes

Summit of Ben Rinnes

Returning down the Ben Rinnes path

Return by the same route.

Views eastwards from the path are significantly different from that seen when heading uphill and looking westwards - beyond the humps of Meikle Conval and Little Conval farmlands and forestry stretch towards the coastlines and North Sea.

On the Ben Rinnes Hill Race

The Ben Rinnes Hill Race starts and finishes to Dufftown and climbs over some minor peaks before heading to Ben Rinnes summit. With an ascent of 1550m over a distance of 22km, this is a 'long' race with the fastest runners completing it in around 2 hours.

The race begins with a sprint around the Dufftown Highland Games field, then exits onto Hill Street, turning west. The runners are directed south onto a track, then after passing a row of houses, climbing begins. After running up through a narrow fenced channel between fields, and a quick blast through some woodland, runners follow a marked route around the edge of golf fairways on Dufftown Golf Course.

Out of the golf course, the route follows a faint trod through soft rush and deer grass to a fenced corner and onto open hillside. A faint path is followed to the trig point sitting at the northern end of Little Conval's traces of ancient fort.

A direct line through an obvious zig-zag path heads down Little Conval's southern heather clad slopes towards Glach-en-ronack. From this bealach, a wet trod is followed directly up Meikle Conval .

Heading south-west the route then drops to some peat-hags, then through thickening heather, descends steeply to the road and car-park in Glack Harness , where a drinks-station awaits. The runners then follow the route up Ben Rinnes to the summit crag , then about turn.

The return to Dufftown is by the same route and upon entering the games field, runners have to do a lap of the track, cheered on by the large crowd of spectators.