Cromdale Hills

Track heading south-east from roadside near Cromdale

Cromdale is a little village nestled on the A95, just a few miles east of Grantown on Spey. In the village is one set of traffic lights, and immediately to the north, a narrow side road heads southeast. Follow this road for about 3km, passing some houses and a few stretches of forestry.

Along a long, straight section of the road, you'll find a small track heading off east - this is where the hill route begins. There's space to park a couple of cars here, additional parking is just a short distance to the east.

Coronation Cairn with Creagan a' Chaise behind

Begin your hike by following the track through a gate and uphill to some forestry. Above the forestry is a junction - turn right and follow a track through a gate.

The track loses a bit of height as it drops down to cross a small burn. Continue onward, passing through another gate as the track ascends alongside more forestry.

The track reaches its highest point just above a pair of Scots Pines - leave the track here and head southeast directly up the hillside. A faint path cuts through heather, passing several grouse butts along the way.

As the gradient eases, you'll reach Coronation Cairn - a towering structure that looks like a Christmas tree when covered in snow - built to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII.

Following a fence-line, the path, briefly more obvious, continues southwest, initially descending before climbing gently for about 1km.

After crossing a gate, the fence-line climbs gently once more, then turns southward. Keep following it, then, as it veers southwest, leave it and follow a faint path or ATV tracks crossing some damp ground.

Trig point and cairn on the summit of Creagan a' Chaise

Trig point and cairn on the summit of Creagan a' Chaise

Looking from north of Creagan a' Chaise to Càrn a' Ghille Chearr and Ben Rinnes

From Creagan a' Chaise, retrace your steps aside the fence-line back to Coronation Cairn .

Follow the fence line northeast, but be prepared for some damp and boggy sections underfoot. Turning east, a broad bealach is reached, the lowest point between the two main Cromdale summits.

Beyond this bealach, the fence rises gently uphill, then at a gate , it turns northeast. Not far beyond, as the fence shifts northwest, leave it behind and head northeast over mainly pathless ground.

Some faint trods form leading toward the minor summit of Càrn Eachie , a grass-covered dome marked by small cairns standing on an area of burnt heather. A few more cairns are situated just to the east, below the summit.

From Càrn Eachie, head north again, where you'll join an ATV track that leads to the summit of Càrn a' Ghille Chearr . Here, a lone trig point stands, offering stunning views northward toward Ben Rinnes.

Ben Rinnes from the summit of Càrn a' Ghille Chearr

Ben Rinnes from the summit of Càrn a' Ghille Chearr

Returning to the bealach between Cromdale's highest summits

To return, head back to the wide bealach then leave the fence-line and aim northwest across the heather, beginning your descent.

After losing a little height, faint ATV tracks are traced passing a line of grouse butts. When these tracks turn northward, leave them behind and cross patches of burnt heather to descend toward an estate track . Follow this track back to the edge of the forestry , where it leads back to the roadside.

Balcorach car park

The Cromdale Hills can be approached from the east in Strath Avon.

From the roadside in the strath, just north of Tomintoul Distillery, you'll find a car park just beyond a bridge over the River Avon. The car-park has ample room for several vehicles and there is a helpful visitor information board.

From the car park, follow the private road north along the riverbank for around 300 meters until you reach a junction with a signpost. Turn left here and follow the track through farmland until you reach a cattle grid. Beyond it, you'll pass through a field, most likely with livestock, before reaching the derelict buildings at Knock .

A right-of-way signpost points left onto a rather mucky track through the buildings - follow it as it travels up to a pond. The track, now more rocky and gravel covered, then twists and turns as it climbs uphill.

At a height of around 450m, the track turns by a turning area - leave it here and follow a rough, overgrown track northwards. The track leads to a nook over Knock Burn, then turns east to traverse a heather-clad slope before climbing once more. Eventually, the track fades into thick heather, but faint trods can be found to follow toward Càrn Eachie and its small cairns.

Cairns on the side of Càrn Eachie

600m/12km/4hr

Cairns on the side of Càrn Eachie

Creagan a' Chaise from Càrn Tuairneir

This is a fine alternative approach when heading only for Creagan a' Chaise. The route begins on the A939 Grantown-on-Spey to Tomintoul road, around 8km south-east of the junction with the A95, where the road twists sharply over a narrow bridge. Limited roadside parking is available immediately west of the bridge beside a gate; care is needed not to block access.

Through the gate, a well-made estate track climbs northwards, soon turning east and gaining around 100m before easing on more level ground. At a wooden marker post , a lesser track branches off to the north and is followed. This section is rougher, with worn lines threading through heather, but it leads onto broad, gently undulating ground between Sgòr Gaoithe and Càrn na Cloiche, reaching a track junction.

The right-hand branch continues towards Càrn na Cloiche , crossing this minor top before swinging north-east and dropping to a shallow dip. Another track is met here, rising from Glen Lochy, and the combined line heads north again to Càrn Tuairneir. A cairn and post mark the summit , with Creagan a’ Chaise now prominent ahead.

Returning along Càrn Tuairneir, Cairngorms ahead

510m/11km/3:40hr

Returning along Càrn Tuairneir, Cairngorms ahead