Ben Avon via Strath Avon

Ben Avon via Strath Avon is a 40.5 km (25.25 mi) out-and-back from Queen's View, southwest of Tomintoul, to the summit tor of Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuidhe. Allow 10 to 11 hours and about 1,250 m of climbing. This is a remote, very long hill day for experienced walkers who are comfortable navigating when paths fade. The shorter approach from Keiloch is a different route. Unless you have transport arranged at Deeside, return the way you came.

From the Queen's View parking area, take the track toward the glen and ignore the path to the viewpoint. Keep left at the cottage fork, then bear left on the private-surfaced road. The glen is wooded in places; pass Birchfield and continue beyond Torbain, Dalestie and Dail na Sac. The tarmac ends, but the track remains good going toward Inchrory. Ignore the lodge gateway; about 800 m farther on, take the right branch over Builg Burn. After roughly 250 m, turn left onto the heather track.

The track passes grouse butts and becomes a path up Carn Fiaclach's eastern side, then a stalkers' path across Meall Gaineimh. The views open back down Strath Avon as you climb. Continue to the bealach between Meall Gaineimh and the 870 m point to its west. Clach Bhan, the largest of the nearby tors, is an optional detour; its surface is cut by channels and potholes, and local folklore links an armchair-shaped hollow with safe childbirth. It adds to an already long day, so skip it if time or energy is tight.

The route climbs across the East Meur Gorm Craig ridge. After a gully the path fades, reappears beside a burn in a shallow grassy ravine, and briefly becomes clear on West Meur Craig's southern flank. It then gives out as you climb open slopes to Mullach Lochan nan Gabhar. Beyond that, follow the broad, tor-studded ridge toward Ben Avon's summit. The final high-ground line is approximate across pathless terrain; use a map and compass and do not treat the line as a marked footpath. Tors help with navigation in good conditions, but this exposed plateau is a poor place to be caught in bad weather.

Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuidhe is a huge, complex granite tor. The easiest way onto the top is a short, simple scramble from a low notch just right of the summit, with little use of hands. Granite tors continue across the plateau; at Meall Gaineimh, turn back for the route's best look down Strath Avon. For a summit photo, keep a tor in the foreground so the scattered rock landscape reads as well as the skyline.

The route starts at the Queen's View parking area just off the minor road southwest of Tomintoul. The route information does not confirm parking capacity, toilets, water or food at the start. Public transport does not reach the trailhead; the nearest bus service is described in Tomintoul, about 1 km away. Scottish access guidance permits dogs on most countryside land when kept under proper control; no route-specific dog prohibition was found.