Parking
Start at the paid Linn of Dee car park, beside the signed Glen Lui path. Seasonal toilets are at the car park.
Overview
About Derry Lodge from Linn of Dee
Why go
- A clear, gently graded track with only about 70 m of ascent
- Pinewood, an old lodge and open Glen Lui views in one outing
Heads up
- The full return walk is long for a modest climb, and the lodge is boarded and unused
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation395–433 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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 Derry Lodge from Linn of Dee, 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
Linn of Dee and the Gorge0:00 / 0:30
“You're approaching Linn of Dee, where the river squeezes through a narrow rocky gorge beneath a granite bridge. This is worth a short stop even if you're not heading into the mountains.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Creag Bhalg from Claybokie
- The Colonel’s Bed from Meikle Inverey
- The Ants’ Sugary Supply
- Linn of Quoich and the Punchbowl
- 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 Derry Lodge from Linn of Dee
A long, gentle walk into Glen LuiThis is an 11 km (6.
This is an 11 km (6.75 mile) out-and-back from Linn of Dee to Derry Lodge and the footbridge just beyond it. The route starts in pinewood, follows a clear vehicle track up Glen Lui, and ends at a boarded Victorian shooting lodge beneath the Cairngorms. Allow 2.5 to 3.5 hours; the climb is only about 70 m, so distance rather than steepness is the commitment.
Follow the track to the footbridgeTake the signed Glen Lui path from the Linn of Dee car park.
Take the signed Glen Lui path from the Linn of Dee car park. It winds through trees past a lookout and a short boardwalk before joining the main track. A gate on this early stretch gives an optional detour to a waterfall and salmon ladder; that side trip is separate from the mapped route. At the vehicle track, turn left, cross Black Bridge and continue up the east side of Glen Lui. The track undulates gently, with forest on one side and the valley opening toward the mountains ahead.
Continue beyond Derry Lodge and the Mountain Rescue post to the footbridge over Derry Burn. Turn around there and retrace the same route. The lodge is a useful landmark, but the bridge is the end of this itinerary; it does not continue into a longer mountain walk.
The lodge in its pine shelter beltDerry Lodge was built in Victorian times as a base for estate shooting parties.
Derry Lodge was built in Victorian times as a base for estate shooting parties. The stone building is now boarded and unused, so admire it from outside rather than expecting an open house or shelter. The surrounding pinewood gives the lodge a striking frame; from the track, compose it between the trees, then keep walking for a wider look up the glen. The footbridge area is a natural place to stop, with views toward the Cairngorm mountains. Red deer are sometimes seen across the glen, though sightings are never guaranteed.
Starting at Linn of DeeStart from the paid Linn of Dee car park, beside the signed Glen Lui path.
Start from the paid Linn of Dee car park, beside the signed Glen Lui path. Toilets at the car park are seasonal, generally available from Easter through October. Dogs are welcome on the estate, but keep them under close control or on a lead, especially during the April-to-July bird-nesting season.
The Linn of Dee gorge is a separate short walk across the road from the car park, where the River Dee squeezes through a narrow cleft in the rock. It makes a worthwhile add-on after the Derry Lodge walk, but is not part of the distance above.
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.
