Parking
Rough roadside pull-in at the A93 track entrance about 1.5 km north of Spittal of Glenshee; space for about two cars. Park carefully without blocking the gateway.
Overview
About Ben Gulabin Trail
Why go
- A short, direct route to an 806 m Corbett summit
- Open views west to the Mounth and down Glen Shee
Heads up
- The final ascent is steep and eroded
- Roadside parking is limited to about two cars
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation386–796 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
3 active Cairngorms alerts
- CautionStorm Boelo high windsStorm Boelo will bring extremely windy weather to the Cairngorms; take extra care and limit time outdoors. - The Park Authority expects the very windy weather to last until Monday 26 October.Official details
- ClosureGlenmore wildfire closures and dangerous treesWildfire damage has closed Allt Mor car park and the path to Sugarbowl/Utsi’s Bridge; keep out of the closed area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cairngorms Tour Guide
Your drive to Ben Gulabin Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cairngorms National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Cairngorms audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Ben Gulabin from the A930:00 / 0:25
“You're nearing the roadside start for Ben Gulabin, a steep three-hour return hillwalk with open views over Glen Shee.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Spittal of Glenshee and the Dalmunzie Hills
- Summer Homes in the Hills
- The Bog’s Sticky Trap
- Connecting Contours at Devil’s Elbow
- 298 audio storiesacross Cairngorms’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Reindeer, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 260 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Ben Gulabin Trail
The summit walkBen Gulabin is a 3.
Ben Gulabin is a 3.5-mile out-and-back from the A93 to an 806 m Corbett summit, with about 450 m of ascent. Allow around three hours for the climb, the open moorland slope and a stop at the rocky cairn. The measured distance goes to the main summit and back; a short detour to the eastern top adds walking.
A direct climbFrom the rough estate track, the route crosses Allt a’ Charnaich and turns onto the direct path…
From the rough estate track, the route crosses Allt a’ Charnaich and turns onto the direct path up the hill. The upper climb is steep and eroded, so the short mileage understates the effort. The grade eases on the heathery summit plateau; follow the main path to the cairn, then return the same way.
Traces of earlier skiingNear the burn crossing, remnants of an old ski tow and the remains of Gulabin Hut, once a club…
Near the burn crossing, remnants of an old ski tow and the remains of Gulabin Hut, once a club ski hut, sit on the hillside north of the track. The tow predates the ski developments at the head of Glen Shee.
Views from the topThe main cairn stands on a small rocky outcrop, with Glas Tulaichean prominent to the west.
The main cairn stands on a small rocky outcrop, with Glas Tulaichean prominent to the west. If you have energy, a short extra walk to the eastern top looks down Glen Shee toward Mount Blair. For a photo, put the cairn in the foreground with the valley behind it; that gives the open view a clear sense of scale.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Cairngorms
159 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
63 sightingsReindeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
102 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
37 sightingsBlack GrouseMost seen around 4 AMSighting map
72 sightingsRed GrouseMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
82 sightingsPine MartenMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cairngorms. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
