provided a sanctuary for walkers, climbers,
soldiers and even Prime Ministers –
Ramsay MacDonald apparently spent
a night here – for over 200 years. The
Cairngorm Club (the oldest surviving
climbing club in Britain) was formed here
in 1887. I talked to a couple of walkers
from Edinburgh who were going to spend
the night here. I envied their incredible
view across Loch Avon.
The toughest section of the walk took
me up through Coire Domhain. Although
the path was excellent, a relentless ascent
of 1,200 feet in less than one mile saw
me huffing and puffing, and I used the
magnificent view of Beinn Mheadhoin’s
brawny outline as an excuse for a breather.
It was a relief to finally reach easier
ground as I gained the Central Cairngorm
Plateau and Stob Coire an t-Sneachda,
the highest point of the walk, which was
teeming with walkers. After several hours
alone with my own thoughts it felt a little
strange to be back in the land of the living;
but it was good to see so many people
enjoying the incredible scenery.
My weary legs said no to a climb onto
Cairn Gorm so I descended Fiachaill a’
Choire Chais, revelling in the view across
Glen More, where my route had started
some eight hours previously.
It was then onto the gorgeous Allt Mor
Trail, which follows the clear, tumbling
waters of Allt Mor, and where I breathed in
the glorious fresh smell of the Caledonian
pinewood. After 17 miles it granted an easy
end to the walk, and I watched dippers
scuttle about the rocks and pied wagtails
along the riverbank as I strolled all the way
back to Glenmore.
Later, my bed in Cairngorm Lodge
Youth Hostel felt as if it was fit for a king
after 10 hours exploring my favourite
corner of Scotland. I slept the sleep only a
day out in the hills can provide.WALK THE
ROUTElinear basin. I now felt as though I really
was walking within the Cairngorms –
with enormous mountains bounding my
route, including the gigantic cliffs of Carn
Etchachan and the Shelter Stone Crag.
At Loch Avon’s western edge sits one of
the most gorgeous arcs of golden sand this
side of Arisaig. Here I gazed to the skies,
trying to spot a golden eagle floating on the
thermals high above. Sadly, my luck wasn't
in today.
THE SHELTER STONE
Before climbing towards the Central
Cairngorm Plateau I headed to Clach
Dhiona (pronounced ‘Clach Yeein’). Better
known as the Shelter Stone it is, perhaps,
the most famous refuge in the Cairngorms.
Fashioned by several boulders, the largest
thought to weigh over 1,500 tonnes, it has
Maps: Ordnance Survey 1:50,000
Landranger sheet 36 (Grantown &
Aviemore), 1:25,000 Explorer sheet 57
(Cairngorm & Aviemore); Harveys
British Mountain Map, Cairngorms &
LochnagarTransport: Regular trains from
Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness
to Aviemore. Buses between Glasgow,
Edinburgh and Inverness to Aviemore.
Bus from Aviemore to GlenmoreAccommodation: Cairngorm
Lodge Youth Hostel (syha.org.uk)
Aviemore has a wide selection of hotels,
B&Bs, campsites and youth hostels
(visitcairngorms.com/accommodation)i
Information: Aviemore
(01479 810930)START/FINISH Glenmore
GR NH976099
Distance: 30km/18.5 miles
Ascent: 1206m/3957ft
High points: Lairig an Laoigh
(790m); The Saddle (804m); Stob
Coire an t-Sneachda (1165m)Photo credit: OS MapsCAIRNGORMS
The Great Outdoors July 2019 39START/FINISH