Ben Avon & neighbouring Munros & Corbetts

Ascent	1500m (4,900ft)
Distance	37km (23m)
Time	walking : 11:45hr
Terrain	easy difficult
Nav	easy testing
Effort	stroll long day
Scenery	ok stunning

• On the A93, east of Braemar Castle, on the east side of Bridge of Dee, there is a road heading north, marked "Kelloch". A few metres up this road there is a recently cleared car-park with notice boards and toilet. It will cost you £2.50 to park here, but Invercauld Estate does some wonderful work.
• Follow the track past Invercauld House up Glean an t-Slugain.
• You could choose to bag the Corbett Carn an Drochaide on the way - it's grass and heather covered short detour and pleasant to traverse.
• It is possible to cycle to the burn at the foot of Carn Eas, however it is probably better to leave your bike 2km south of this for ease of return.
• Follow the route up to Ben Avon and over to Beinn a'Bhuird's North Top as described in the 'Main Route'.
• From the North Top head south and follow the cliffs around Coire na Clach and Dubh Lochan and ascend A'Chioch.
• The South Top is 800m sws, from where aim 400m north-east to turn east and come down via Carn Fiaclach. Head down to cross the river, pick up your bike and return to Bridge of Dee.

Ascent	1000m (3,300ft)
Distance	29km (18m)
Time	walking : 9hr
Terrain	easy difficult
Nav	easy testing
Effort	stroll long day
Scenery	ok stunning

• From the main car-park at Linn of Dee, head northwards up the path and track through Glen Lui to Derry Lodge.
• Keep on the east side of Derry Burn and follow the well-maintained path through delighful Scot's Pine foests for 6km to reach the burn coming down from the Moine Bealaidh.
• Cross the burn, which can be problematic in spate, and head uphill north-east over heather to the flat area south of Beinn a'Chaorainn.
• Cross the ground, wet in patches and ascend Beinn a'Chaorainn.
• As described in the 'Main Route', bag Beinn Bhreac and reach the narrow gap (NO055960).
• Pick up a path which crosses heather then down to the Glen Derry path (at NO045950). Return to Derry Lodge and Linn of Dee.

Ascent	940m (6,350ft)
Distance	43km (27m)
Time	walking : 14hr
Terrain	easy difficult
Nav	easy testing
Effort	stroll long day
Scenery	ok stunning

Getting there

• On the A93, east of Braemar Castle, on the east side of Bridge of Dee, there is a road heading north, marked "Kelloch". A few metres up this road there is a recently cleared car-park with notice boards and toilet. It will cost you £2.50 to park here, but Invercauld Estate does some wonderful work.
• Cycle for around 1.5km, then at a junction, head north. Bike it all the way to the bealach between Carn Liath and Culardoch.
• Leave your bike behind at the bealach, strike west uphill on a path to bag Carn Liath. This Corbett has two tops both with a spot height of 862m, the eastern one is considered the summit.
• Return to the bealach, then north-east on the track for just under 1km. Leave the track at a sharp bend and hike eastwards on a path up the short distance to Culardoch's summit.
• If you're just after the Corbett summits, return to the bealach and cycle back the way you came in.
  
  
• The day can be extended by heading up to Ben Avon.
• After bagging Carn Liath and Culardoch, return to the bealach, then northwards down a path following the Allt na Claise Moire to the River Gairn.
• Cross it via the bridge, then head north-west directly uphill to bag Ben Avon and its weird tops and tors.
• Return up to the bealach and free-wheel most of the way back.

Ascent	1060m (3,490ft)
Distance	40km (25m)
Time	bike/walk : 6hr
Terrain	easy difficult
Nav	easy testing
Effort	stroll long day
Scenery	ok stunning

Getting there

• Tomintoul is one of the highest villages in the UK and is on the A939 halway between Ballater and Grantown-on-Spey. In the village, near the southern end, a Right-of-way sign points to Dalestie. Drive up this road, then rough track to a car-park with information board.
• On bike, cycle south on the rough track.
• The track meets up with the tarred road coming from Delavorar Farm, then continues tarred for around 6km. A delightful cycle can be enjoyed taking in the scenery.
• Beyond the ruin at Dalesie the road reverts to a fine smooth track and is followed down to the Linn of Avon, where a bridge over the Builg Burn is met. Cross the bridge cycle for 200m and leave your bike by the path that heads off left (south).
• On foot, follow this path uphill. The path is obvious to begin with, then gets fainter - when it does, look for a cairn on the skyline ahead and aim for this.
• Beyond this cairn the path becomes more obvious again and climbs gently uphill to the wieerd rocks of East Muir Gorm Craig.
• The path picks a way through the heather on the eastern side of West Muir Gorm Craig then disappears on the approach to Mullach Lochan nan Gobhar. The tor that can be seen from here is not the summit, it's the one marked 1122m on the OS map. The summit is further on in a more south-westerly direction.
• After bagging Ben Avon's summit and having some fun scrambling around on it, return via the same route.

Ascent	1480m (4,865ft)
Distance	42km (26m)
Time	bike/walk : 11:15hr
Terrain	easy difficult
Nav	easy testing
Effort	stroll long day
Scenery	ok stunning

Getting there

• From the south end of Aviemore, the Cairn Gorm ski centre road heads east.
• 10km along this road is the junction for the Glenmore Centre - Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre.
• Park at the end of this narrow road then on foot or by bike head up the track heading north-east. You'll pass the lovely 'green loch' on the way, worth stopping to take in the atmosphere.
• 2km after setting off, you'll come to a junction - left will take you to Ryvoan Bothy and the start of the path up Meall a'Bhuachaille. Turn right for the track to Bynack More, 2km further up you'll come to a bridge over the River Nethy.
• Over the bridge, and now on a well maintained path, aim south-east uphill.
• The path climbs up then drops into Coire Odhar, where it becomes rougher and unmaintained. Further on, the path travels around Bynack More, improves again for a breif period, then reaches the small shelter by the Fords of Avon.
• Cross the River Avon (easy if levels are low, impossible if in spate) and continue for a further 300m on a well defined path.
• Leave the path and strike directly uphill, aiming due south on the grassy ground between wet slabs. As the summit of Beinn a'Chaorainn nears the ground becomes more boulder covered.
• From Beinn a'Chaorainn head over to Beinn Bhreac as described in the 'Main route'.
• After reaching Beinn Bhreac, return north-west towards Craig Derry, then descend on grass and heather to the path in Lairig an Laoigh.
• Follow this path northwards (rough in places) back to the Fords of Avon and re-trace your route back to Glenmore.