Corryhabbie Hill from Glenlivet

In Glenlivet

Tomintoul is the highest village in the Highlands and sits in the north-eastern corner of the Cairngorm National Park around 10 miles south-eat of Grantown on Spey.

From Tomintoul, the B9008 travels northwards to Glenlivet and the small village of Tomnavoulin. Just north of the village is a narrow unclassified road heading south-eastwards following the River Livet upstream for around 4km.

This road ends just before a bridge over the Allt Dregnie, where there is a car-parking area with an information board.

Ruin of Suie below Carn na Bruar

Leave car-park and head on an estate road over bridge on the Allt Dregnie and keep right at the fork immediately after the bridge. A short distance later, the estate road, now more of a track, comes to another junction - turn right and follow a rougher track towards River Livet.

As the track approaches a ford and a bridge over River Livet, turn left and follow faint ATV tracks over grass by the northern bank of river. Passing a couple of fields, the edge of woodland is reached with a sign pointing the way through the trees to fence with a stile.

Across a field and through another small patch of forestry, the path meets with the estate track from Achdregnie and heads down to the River Livet to cross via bridge . Now on south bank of river, follow the estate track past a couple of buildings, through a gate and continue onwards for the next 3km or so.

Passing a split in the track for the house at Grayknowe, a ford over the River Livet is reached - it should be straightforward to cross, but if not, there is a bridge 500m upstream, directly below the house at Knochkan.

Through a gate in a deer fence, the track heads up to the ruin of Suie , then comes to junction with a signpost. Take the right fork (marked to 'The Steplar', the old drove road to Cabrach) and climb gently for the next 2km or so with wind turbines on the skyline coming into view.

The col between Carn na Bruar and Cook's Cairn is reached and the track comes to a junction, with a sign post indicating a left-turn for Cook's Cairn. The track leads directly to the summit .

Cook's Cairn

Cook's Cairn

On the slopes of Corryhabbie Hill, looking to Carn Allt a' Chlaiginn

On Cook's Cairn, turn north-west and descend the hills heather-clad slopes. There is no path to follow and heather becomes quite dense as height is lost.

The track crossing from Glen Suie to Glenfiddich is reached by its highest point. Aim directly up the hillside ahead over more heather and pick up another rougher track zig-zagging uphill (I made a direct line rather than sticking to the track).

On the summit of Corryhabbie Hill looking to Ben Rinnes

On the summit of Corryhabbie Hill looking to Ben Rinnes

River Livet

From Corryhabbie Hill's summit, cross the crest south-west for short distance to then turn southwards and begin to lose height. Terrain is mainly of a light covering of grass and heather - a delight to run downhill.

The track in Glen Suie is met and followed back to the ruin at Suie from where re-trace your route back to the car-park by the end of the public road.