BALLATER WALKING FESTIVAL - LOCHNAGAR via LOCH MUICK and DUBH LOCH (MUNRO) - STRONG WALK
The Green Hut, Church Green, Ballater, AB35 5NE
Tuesday 18th May 2027 8:00AM
LOCHNAGAR via LOCH MUICK and DUBH LOCH (MUNRO)
STRONG WALK
Depart from Green Hut Ballater at 8am by minibus. Please arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
Approximate Distance – 25.5km
Approximate Ascent – 1012m
Approximate Walking Time (including breaks) - 8-9 hours
Landranger Map no. - 44
This circular hike takes us past 3 lochs, Loch Muick, Dubh Loch and Lochnagar, and includes bagging a munro, Lochnagar, also known as Beinn Chiochan, in Gaelic. Lochnagar was immortalised in verse by Lord Byron and featured in a children’s book by King Charles III. The scenery is stunning and we may be lucky to catch sight of deer and other wildlife.
Following the path from the Spittal of Glen Muick we will take a right, crossing a bridge over the River Muick and head towards the boathouse. The route then takes us past Glas-allt-Shiel. This Lodge was built by Queen Victoria in 1868. She used it to escape from the world following the death of her husband, Prince Albert, and called it her ‘widow’s house’. As we make our way towards the head of Loch Muick, we take a turning from the main path and start ascending towards Dubh Loch. The sense of isolation in this area, with the Black Loch on our left and the towering cliffs of Eagles Rock on our right is immense. Leaving the loch behind, we lose the path and will then pick our way through the heather, and with a bit of rock hopping upwards towards Carn an t-Sagairt Beag and Carn a’ Choire Bhoidheach. At this point the noise from the water feeding the loch below is very powerful and quite a sight as it cascades downwards gushing over huge slabs of rock. Just before the summit we will connect with a path which we will follow to Cac Carn Beag(1155 m), the true summit of Lochnagar.
Lochnagar was climbed by Queen Victoria, who wrote of the summit, “But alas! Nothing whatever to be seen, and it was cold and wet and cheerless!” Hopefully our luck will be better as this is a magnificent viewpoint for Deeside and the Cairngorms. We will then begin our descent towards Meikle Pap (980 m) and will hopefully have great views of our third loch of the day – Lochnagar. Just before the path joins the main landrover track, we pass a memorial to Bill Stuart, a climber who died on the cliffs in 1993. Turning right at the junction, we then meander through a forest, heading back towards the Loch Muick carpark and the completion of the hike.
TERRAIN – This is a challenging and rewarding full-day mountain hike with significant ascent and descent, requiring both a good level of fitness and stamina. We will mostly be following clear tracks and mountain paths with some rocky terrain. The section from Dubh Loch to the path that runs between Carn an t-Sagairt Beag and Carn a’ Choire Bhoidheach is pathless, and potentially boggy. There is a boulder section at the summit of Lochnagar, and on the descent. Gaiters and poles are highly recommended.
STRONG WALK
Depart from Green Hut Ballater at 8am by minibus. Please arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
Approximate Distance – 25.5km
Approximate Ascent – 1012m
Approximate Walking Time (including breaks) - 8-9 hours
Landranger Map no. - 44
This circular hike takes us past 3 lochs, Loch Muick, Dubh Loch and Lochnagar, and includes bagging a munro, Lochnagar, also known as Beinn Chiochan, in Gaelic. Lochnagar was immortalised in verse by Lord Byron and featured in a children’s book by King Charles III. The scenery is stunning and we may be lucky to catch sight of deer and other wildlife.
Following the path from the Spittal of Glen Muick we will take a right, crossing a bridge over the River Muick and head towards the boathouse. The route then takes us past Glas-allt-Shiel. This Lodge was built by Queen Victoria in 1868. She used it to escape from the world following the death of her husband, Prince Albert, and called it her ‘widow’s house’. As we make our way towards the head of Loch Muick, we take a turning from the main path and start ascending towards Dubh Loch. The sense of isolation in this area, with the Black Loch on our left and the towering cliffs of Eagles Rock on our right is immense. Leaving the loch behind, we lose the path and will then pick our way through the heather, and with a bit of rock hopping upwards towards Carn an t-Sagairt Beag and Carn a’ Choire Bhoidheach. At this point the noise from the water feeding the loch below is very powerful and quite a sight as it cascades downwards gushing over huge slabs of rock. Just before the summit we will connect with a path which we will follow to Cac Carn Beag(1155 m), the true summit of Lochnagar.
Lochnagar was climbed by Queen Victoria, who wrote of the summit, “But alas! Nothing whatever to be seen, and it was cold and wet and cheerless!” Hopefully our luck will be better as this is a magnificent viewpoint for Deeside and the Cairngorms. We will then begin our descent towards Meikle Pap (980 m) and will hopefully have great views of our third loch of the day – Lochnagar. Just before the path joins the main landrover track, we pass a memorial to Bill Stuart, a climber who died on the cliffs in 1993. Turning right at the junction, we then meander through a forest, heading back towards the Loch Muick carpark and the completion of the hike.
TERRAIN – This is a challenging and rewarding full-day mountain hike with significant ascent and descent, requiring both a good level of fitness and stamina. We will mostly be following clear tracks and mountain paths with some rocky terrain. The section from Dubh Loch to the path that runs between Carn an t-Sagairt Beag and Carn a’ Choire Bhoidheach is pathless, and potentially boggy. There is a boulder section at the summit of Lochnagar, and on the descent. Gaiters and poles are highly recommended.
Event Details
Starts at 8:00AM
Location
The Green Hut, Church Green, Ballater, AB35 5NE
Available on Tue 12 Jan 2027 at 6:00PM
Price
Place price incl. booking fee
£53.90
