West of Glenshee

Càrn Aosda above the Glenshee Ski Centre

The A93 connects Perth with Aberdeen, passing through Braemar in Deeside. A few miles south of Braemar, Glenshee Ski Centre is just below the col on the road's highest point. Unless skiing is in full swing, there are usually no problems parking by the ski centre or in the vast rough area east of the road.

Descending Carn Aosda

From the back of the main buildings of the Glenshee Ski Centre, head up a bulldozed track aiming west. Not long after passing a building, the track splits and a couple of options present themselves :

For a fairly gentle climb, take the left fork and continue uphill onto the col between Càrn Aosda and The Cairnwell , where the track meets with another crossing the crest above Coire Butchart. Turn right and follow the track northeast. The track continues onto the crest of Càrn Aosda, just west of the summit and above the top of the ski-tows.

For a more direct route, keep straight on at the junction above the building and hike close to the Càrn Aosda T-bar climbing fairly steeply. The track eventually meets up with the other track coming from Coire Butchart, above the ski-tows.

A short distance over boulders and stones, reaches the small cairn sitting on Càrn Aosda's summit .

Càrn a' Ghèoidh from the lochans to the north-east

From Càrn Aosda's summit, return down the wide track south-west around the top of the ski-tows and down the bealach just above Coire Butchart and Loch Vrotacha.

If thinking of just bagging The Cairnwell, just stay on the track and follow it all the way to the top of the chair-lift and onto the summit !

Alternatively, for a longer and more interesting day, from the bealach , look for a faint path on the right of the track aiming due south. This crosses wet ground and climbs a few metres to the col between the Cairnwell and Càrn nan Sac.

A well-defined path crossed the col - turn right and follow this path south-west to the second of two lochans just north of Càrn nan Sac. Turn around the south edge of this lochan, following a fainter path aiming directly towards Càrn a'Ghèoidh. The path continues over delightful grass-covered ground with only one short steep section on the final approach to Càrn a'Ghèoidh's summit .

The Cairnwell from the col below Càrn nan Sac

From Càrn a'Ghèoidh retrace your steps back to the lochans and then to the bealach between Càrn nan Sac and The Cairnwell .

At the bealach, directly ahead look for a scarred path that initially climbs uphill. Follow this as it then turns right (south-east) and cuts a route through heather and stones. As ascent levels out, the path meets up with a ski-run and line of snow fencing.

Follow the ski-run past the top of the Cairnwell Chairlift and continue on a rough track uphill to the huts, masts and weather-station on Cairnwell's summit . Although rather untidy, the Cairnwell's summit is a fine viewpoint in all directions.

It's fairly straightforward to descend directly from Cairnwell downhill to the mast by the snow-gate.This is grassy most of the way with some small patches boulderfield to contend with.

Alternatively for a slightly softer descent, retrace your steps from the Cairnwell's summit for around 200m to just beyond the top of the Cairnwell Chairlift, then make a beeline north-east down grassy slopes to Glenshee Ski Centre directly below.

A third more gentle, but longer option would be to follow the ski-run from the Cairnwell down to the top of Coire Butchart then turn east and hike down another track/ski-run back to Glenshee Ski Centre.