Capel Mounth

Capel Mounth is a roughly 10.5 km (6.5 mi) one-way crossing from the Spittal of Glenmuick Car Park to the road at Glen Clova. ScotWays lists the named pass at 10 km; the mapped line from the car park is a little longer. Allow about 3½ hours of walking. This is point-to-point, not a loop, so arrange a return from Glen Clova before you start.

Follow the track southwest from Spittal for about 400 m, then take the left-hand line climbing across the west side of Black Hill. It leaves the Loch Muick route for open, rolling moorland west of Watery Hill, reaches Gallow Hillock, and crosses the shoulder of Capel Mounth. The high route is a broad crossing rather than a single summit. At the cairn beside the track, include a little of the path in a photo to show how it runs across the moor.

The descent into Glen Clova is steep and zigzags between Moulzie Burn and Capel Burn. After the burn crossing, the route passes through plantation to the Clova road. Much of the way lies above 2,000 feet, so this is a serious high-ground outing despite its modest distance.

The pass appears as Mounth Capell on the Gough Map, dated 1355–1366. It linked Deeside with Angus long before modern roads. Proposals for a road over Capul Mount were discussed in 1833 and 1842, but the through-road was never built; the crossing remains a mountain track and path.

No food or water service was identified on the pass, so start with what you need. The crossing ends in Glen Clova, about 1 km from Glen Doll Ranger Base car park; food is in Clova village as a separate stop. The start and finish are far apart, so plan your collection or return transport before setting out.