Parking
Start at Station Square in Ballater; car parking and public toilets are marked at the square.
Overview
About Craigendarroch Circular
Why go
- Ancient oak, Scots pine and birch canopy
- Countryside views from openings on the circuit
Heads up
- Strenuous grade with narrow, rough and rocky stretches
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation202–329 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 Craigendarroch Circular, 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
Ballater Old Royal Station0:00 / 0:34
“Ballater's Old Royal Station is ahead, a handy stop for royal railway history and something to eat.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Shoes for the Cattle
- Blaeberry Beneath the Pines
- Cones Disguised as Berries
- Waves Carved in Snow
- 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 Craigendarroch Circular
The lower circuitCraigendarroch Circular is a waymarked woodland loop from Station Square around the lower…
Craigendarroch Circular is a waymarked woodland loop from Station Square around the lower contour of the hill. The Park Authority lists 3.5 km (2.25 mi) and about two hours; the complete Station Square return, counting the shared access path in both directions, measures 2.34 mi. The route is graded strenuous and runs mostly on earthy paths, with narrow, rough and rocky sections. This is the lower circular walk, separate from Craigendarroch Summit.
Through the oakwoodThe path contours beneath ancient oaks, Scots pine and birch, with openings toward the…
The path contours beneath ancient oaks, Scots pine and birch, with openings toward the surrounding countryside. Follow the Craigendarroch Circular signs at the shared junction; the Summit route branches into a different hike and is not part of this loop.
Starting in BallaterStation Square is the named start, with car parking and public toilets marked at the square.
Station Square is the named start, with car parking and public toilets marked at the square. Allow the full two hours for the rough tread. Dogs may accompany walkers under the park's normal rules; keep them close, use a short lead around ground-nesting birds or livestock, and follow local signs.
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.
