Balmoral Cairns Circular

Date/Time

Date(s) - 01/11/2015
9:00 am - 5:30 pm

Walk Details

Pub Stop?: Yes
O/S Map Sheet No.: 44
Grid Ref. Start: 263 949
Grid Ref. Finish 263 949
Walk (Miles): 9
Walk Hours: 4.5
Bus Time to Walk:2.0 hours
Bus Time from Walk: 1.5 hours
Departure time from walk: 15:30

Walk Notes

N.B. 9.00am start from Aberdeen.

Today, we are back in Deeside to visit the cairns built on the Balmoral Estate by Queen Victoria in honour of her family. Graham Sangster suggested this walk and it wwas included in our 2015 Programme.This walk is a circular one, so members who require a shorter or different walk – please indicate your intentions with your committee member in charge of the bus.Our walk commences at the Balmoral Castle carpark on the A93 near Crathie church. From the bus, head SE’wards towards, and past, the old churchyard. At the following T junction, turn right and walk S’wards to cross the white suspension bridge over the River Dee. Once over the bridge, turn right on the South Deeside Road and head towards Easter Balmoral. From this small village, take the metalled road SW’wards, uphill for about 400m past some estate cottage and then ascend a path S’wards on your left. Go through a metal gate and continue ascending through the forest to soon arrive at Princess Beatrice’s cairn on the left. Continue SW’wards and ascend through the forest on a good path to eventually arrive at the huge pyramid-shaped cairn erected to Prince Albert. From this cairn, descend on a good path, sometimes quite steeply, to a T junction in the forest. Go right at this junction for about 400m, to another T junction. Go left here, through a gate, and follow this track for about 0.6 miles to a track junction at (NGR 246 935). Follow this forest path NE’wards, uphill, to gain Princess Alice’s cairn and onwards on good paths to the other cairns including Prince Arthur’s cairn, Prince Leopold’s cairn and (back to) the Purchase cairn, erectedwhen Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Ballochbuie Forest. From this cairn, head downhill (SE’wards) to visit Princess Helena’s cairn, before descending through the forest to cross a footbridge over a small gorge and heading downhill. Go left at a path junction to eventually arrive in the forest at the kilted statue erected in memory to John Brown. Retrace your steps a short distance to the path junction. Go left here, and soon go right at the next junction. Return SE’wards along the metalled road to Easter Balmoral, cross the suspension bridge over the River Dee to its northern side and onwards, past the churchyard, to our bus at the Crathie car/bus park.                                                                                       Walking distance approx. 9 miles

Bus departs at 4.00pm.

In the event of an emergency arising, the person in charge of the outing should becontacted, if possible, before the police are contacted.Relevant telephone number for Grampian police is 0845 600 5700 or 999.

Committee member in charge today is Fiona Wallace

Bookings