Mount Keen from Glen Mark
Biking and hiking route up Mount Keen from Glen Mark and Glen Esk. Estate tracks and good paths give a straightforward route to the summit.
Route outline
| Munros | ||||
| Walk ascent | 250m (820ft) | |||
| distance | 3km (2m) | |||
| time | 1:00hr | |||
| Bike ascent | 450m (1470ft) | |||
| distance | 13km (8m) | |||
| time | 1:30hr | |||
| Start/finish | Invermark car-park, Tarfside Grid Ref : NO447804 | |||
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| Nav |
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| Effort |
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The most popular route to the summit travels through Glen Mark, beginning from Glen Esk to the south. Much of the approach follows fine estate tracks, with well-maintained paths higher up, similar to the longer Glen Tanar route that approaches from the north. A short detour to Queen's Well is worthwhile.
Overall this makes one of the easier Munro routes.
Route map
Route description
1. Getting to Glen Mark
Invermark Castle
Just outside of Brechin, which is on the A90 between Aberdeen and Dundee, the B966 heads northwards to the picturesque village of Edzell. North of this village, an unclassified road travels around 20km up Glen Esk and ends by a car-park near Loch Lee and at the opening to Glen Mark.
2. The Queen's Well and Glenmark
Queen's Well
This route is described as a bike-and-hike, but its done just as easily, if more relaxed, as a walk !
Leave the car-park and head westwards, cross a bridge over the Burn of Branny, pass a church 
, then just before the bridge over River Mark, turn right up a track. The track comes to a house, turn left just before it and head through a gate and cycle up through some woodland.
You'll come to a large and and old gate 
through a deer fence. The fence either side of the gate is electric - it was live last time I visited !
Through the gate and over a burn, follow the estate track for 1.5km to a junction 
. To the left is a possible return route that meets the ruins of Invermark Castle, though this is discouraged by a sign !
Keep right at the junction and continue towards the house at Glenmark, on the way have a look at the Queens Well 
and throw some pennies for luck. Up to the house at Glenmark 
, if you don't have thighs of steel or an e-bike, best to leave bikes here - it's uphill next !
3. Mount Keen
Final approach to Mount Keen's summit
Beyond the house at Glenmark, two burns require crossing - Easter Burn and Ladder Burn. In most conditions these burns are straightforward to cross, but in spate they can present some difficulty, Ladder Burn in particular. It is possible to keep to the east of these burns and climb uphill, but there is a lot of beating through heather to pregress.
Once across the burns, head uphill on the track for just over 2km to a cairn at c670m 
. The cairn marks the start of a well constructed path which continues directly to Mount Keen's summit just under 2km away. Just before reaching the summit is an interesting boulder with a 'B' engraved - the 'boundary stone' - the 'B' faces north, so you might not see it until on the return ! A trig point rests on Mount Keen's summit 
from where views are far and uninterupted.
4. Return
The 'boundary' stone near Mount Keen's summit
Return by the same route, possibly detouring onto the track above the southern bank of Water of Mark to visit the remains of Invermark Castle.
Maps and GPX downloads »
Route profile »
Weather forecasts »
| Regional | MWIS - Southeast Highlands |
| Peak specific | Mountain Forecast.com Met Office YR.no |
| Seasonal | SAIS - Southern Cairngorms Midge forecast |
Alternative and nearby routes »
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* Times shown are estimates – see timing notes on the disclaimer page for more information.
