Parking
From east of Bellabeg, follow the minor road toward Glenbuchat. After Altdachie, take the signed rough track to the forest walks car park, a short way in at a junction. The access has potholes and no public transport to the start.
Overview
About Ben Newe Trail
Why go
- Rocky summit with a medieval well, trig point and 360° views
- A distinct hilltop reward on a half-day route
Heads up
- Sustained, fairly steep climbing on forest tracks
- Rough upper path with faint route variants
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation369–537 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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 Newe 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 Newe above Strathdon0:00 / 0:26
“Up ahead is the start for Ben Newe, a short but steep hillwalk to a rocky summit above Strathdon.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Shelter You Share
- Bellabeg and the Doune of Invernochty
- Strathdon’s Marching Society
- The Foxglove Before the Flowers
- 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 Newe Trail
A short, steep hill walkBen Newe Trail is a 2.
Ben Newe Trail is a 2.5-mile (4 km) out-and-back from Ben Newe forest walks car park to the rocky summit above Strathdon. Allow about 2.5 hours. The distance is modest, but the sustained climb and rough upper path make this a strenuous half-day walk. You return the way you came, so leave enough energy for the descent and the forest track back.
Getting to the startFrom east of Bellabeg, take the minor road toward Glenbuchat.
From east of Bellabeg, take the minor road toward Glenbuchat. After Altdachie, turn onto the signed rough access track; the forest walks car park is a short distance along at a junction. The access track has potholes, and there is no public transport to the start. Dogs are welcome under the usual park access rules; keep them close or on a short lead near livestock and ground-nesting birds, especially from April through August.
Through the forest and heatherFollow the blue waymarkers along the forest track.
Follow the blue waymarkers along the forest track. It passes above an old dammed pool before the long climb begins. Near the forest edge, the route turns sharply right; at the next junction, about 500 metres on, turn left, then turn right after another 250 metres onto a grassier track. Bear right at the fork and continue uphill.
After roughly 150 metres, leave the tracks to the left for the heather path. The final climb is steep, rough and uneven. Several faint variants cross the hillside, so keep following the occasional marker posts rather than choosing a tempting side line. Forest tracks can be muddy.
The rocky summitThe top is a rocky outcrop with a medieval well, trig point and wooden seat.
The top is a rocky outcrop with a medieval well, trig point and wooden seat. The open view takes in Glen Buchat and The Buck to the north, then Glenbuchat Castle and the winding River Don; Bennachie stands farther off. Give yourself a moment to look around before turning back—the summit is the walk’s defining reward, and the rocks and trig point make a good foreground for a panorama.
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.
