East Highlands & Cairngorms
Mountain hiking routes on Scotland's Eastern Highlands
The finest hill-walking and scrambling routes in the mountains of the Cairngorms and Scotland's Eastern Highlands.Hill walking routes in the Eastern Highlands
Nearer the bottom of the page is a table to help you find routes by distance, ascent, difficulty of terrain, quality of scenery and even by Munro and Corbett count.
1 - Glen Feshie and Rothiemurchus | |
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In the heart of Rothiemurchus, heather and juniper cover the lower slopes, upper ground is flat and featureless, fortunately some good paths and tracks help ease navigation to the Munro summits of Sgor Gaoith and Mullach Clach a'Bhlair. |
2 - Braeriach, Cairn Toul and west of Lairig Ghru | |
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West of the Lairig Ghru, high plateaux above cliffs and coires will test navigation skills. Rewarding views, particularly from Braeriach's summit. |
3 - Ben Macdui, Cairngorm and east of Lairig Ghru | |
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Vast plateaus with Artic tundra, hidden lochans, long narrow crests, dark corries and weird granite tors. |
4 - Ben Avon and Munros east of Lairig Laoigh | |
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Unusual summit volcanic tors sit on vast plateaux and above an area full of wildlife. Good estate tracks and fine paths from most directions make for easy access. |
5 - Mount Keen and Mount Battock | |
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Recent path work have made access to these summits a delight. A bike is recommended for either approach up Mount Keen. |
6 - Lochnagar and around Loch Muick | |
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Mighty Lochnagar and its neighbouring Munros encircle Loch Muick in the south-east Cairngorms. The famed dark coires of Lochnagar are favourite winter climbing areas. |
7 - Above the Angus Glens | |
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With fine paths and short distance, Driesh and Mayar above Glen Doll make for a good introduction to hillwalking. The day can be extended to include Tolmount and Tom Buidhe, returning by 'Old Jock's Road'. |
8 - Glenshee | |
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There are 9 Munros above the Glenshee Ski Centre. You could pick them off over a few days on short routes, or combine them into one big outing, perhaps running them part of the Glenshee 9 hillrace. Either way, the terrain will test navigation skills, particulary if in mist. |
9 - Glen Ey | |
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Encircling Glen Ey, south-west of Braemar are 5 Munros including mighty Glas Tulaichean and remote Beinn Iutharn Mhor. Lots of route options to get lost in the rolling hills and lonely lochans of this area. |
10 - Above Geldie Lodge | |
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Above the old ruin of Geldie Lodge sit heather clad round hills. A bike is recommended for the approach |
11 - Atholl, Tilt and Bruar | |
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Fine tracks reach Beinn a'Ghlo and its neighbours. Navigation skills are tested on the summit plateaus |
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Hill routes in the Cairngorms and Eastern Highlands by category
Locate routes by ascent, distance, quality of scenery, effort needed or even Munro and Corbett count using the table below.
Sort multiple columns simultaneously by holding down shift key and clicking a second, third or even fourth column header!
| Mountain Area | Route | Ascent (m) |
Distance (km) |
Terrain+ | Scenery | Munro count |
Corbett count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Atholl and Beinn a'Ghlo | 2850 | 42 |  |
 |
5 | 1 |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Beinn Vuirich | 860 | 20 |  |
|
- | 1 |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Beinn Dearg (A9)* | 1150 | 30.5 |  |
 |
1 | - |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Carn a'Chlamain from Glen Tilt* | 1060 | 25 | |
|
1 | - |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Beinn a'Ghlo | 1350 | 20.5 | |
|
3 | - |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Above Glen Ey* | 2050 | 40 | |
|
5 | - |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | An Socach from Baddoch* | 610 | 14.5 | |
|
1 | - |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Glas Tulaichean from Spittal of Glenshee* | 765 | 17.5 |  |
|
3 | - |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Glen Ey and Glenshee Munros | 2775 | 43 | |
|
8 | - |
| Glenshee to Mount Keen | Glenshee Munros | 1690 | 30 | |
|
9 | - |
| Glenshee to Mount Keen | Tolmount and Tom Buidhe with driesh and Mayar | 1350 | 26 | |
|
4 | - |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | The Cairnwell and Carn Aosda | 430 | 5 | |
|
2 | - |
| Cairngorms | Cairngorm | 625 | 6.5 | |
 |
1 | - |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Carn Liath on Beinn a'Ghlo | 640 | 8 | |
|
1 | - |
| Glenshee to Mount Keen | Mayar and driesh | 900 | 14 | |
|
2 | - |
| Glenshee to Mount Keen | Ben Tirran | 675 | 9 | |
|
- | 1 |
| Glenshee to Mount Keen | Lochnagar and around Loch Muick | 1280 | 26 | |
|
5 | 1 |
| Glenshee to Mount Keen | Above Glen Callater* | 1430 | 35 | |
|
6 | - |
| Glenshee to Mount Keen | Mount Keen* | 700 | 18 | |
|
1 | - |
| Glenshee to Mount Keen | Mount Battock* | 700 | 15 | |
|
- | 1 |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Above Geldie Burn from Linn of Dee* | 960 | 38 | |
|
2 | - |
| Glen Garry to Braemar | Above Geldie Burn from Glen Tilt* | 1300 | 62 | |
|
2 | - |
| Cairngorms | Glen Feshie Munros | 1025 | 21 | |
|
2 | - |
| Cairngorms | Above Glen Einich* | 1680 | 42 | |
|
2 | - |
| Cairngorms | Sgor Gaoith and tops | 1000 | 15 | |
|
1 | - |
| Cairngorms | West of the Lairig Ghru from Linn of Dee* | 2000 | 52 | |
|
6 | - |
| Cairngorms | West of the Lairig Ghru from Glenmore | 2150 | 35 | |
|
4 | - |
| Cairngorms | Sgor Mor* | 525 | 19 | |
|
- | 1 |
| Cairngorms | Cairngorm and Macdui Munro group | 2725 | 48 | |
|
6 | - |
| Cairngorms | Bynack More from Glenmore* | 850 | 22 | |
|
1 | - |
| Cairngorms | Ben Avon and neighbours* | 1740 | 35 | |
|
4 | - |
| Cairngorms | Beinn a'Chaorainn and Beinn Bhreac from Derry Lodge * | 1000 | 29 | |
|
2 | - |
| Cairngorms | Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird from Tomintoul * | 1600 | 51 | |
|
2 | - |
| Cairngorms | Geal Charn (Abernethy) | 600 | 16 | |
|
- | 1 |
| Cairngorms | The Lecht Corbetts | 775 | 17.5 | |
|
- | 2 |
| Cairngorms | Brown Cow Hill | 550 | 15 | |
|
- | 1 |
| Cairngorms | Corryhabbie Hill | 500 | 10 | |
|
- | 1 |
| Cairngorms | Ben Rinnes | 575 | 7 |  |
|
- | 1 |
| Cairngorms | Ben Rinnes Hill Race route | 1550 | 22 | |
|
- | 1 |
| Cairngorms | Meall a'Bhuachaille | 525 | 9 | |
|
- | 1 |
8: a few sections of rock clambering, 9: tricky sections of scrambling and exposure, 10: very exposed, technical scrambling, climbing and ropework required
* there are tracks decent enough on these routes to enable cycling
Routes without links are under construction and will be on website soon.
© 2021 Steven Fallon
