Parking
Use the small cemetery-side car park beside Bridge of Livet on the B9136, between the bridge and the B9008 junction.
Overview
About Drumin Community Circuit
Why go
- A compact loop combines wooded river paths with Drumin Castle and its walled garden.
Heads up
- Cattle gates and short minor-road stretches interrupt the footpaths.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation188–240 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 Drumin Community Circuit, 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
Drumin Castle and its Orchard0:00 / 0:29
“Drumin Castle is ahead, a small tower ruin above the meeting of the Livet and Avon rivers. Only two walls survive, so I'd choose it for a brief look around and a picnic in the walled community orchard behind it.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Glenlivet Distillery and Blairfindy Castle
- Waking the Barley
- Nests Inside the Riverbank
- The Wolf Who Burned a Cathedral
- 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 Drumin Community Circuit
Circuit and effortDrumin Community Circuit is a 2.5-mile loop from the cemetery-side car park at Bridge of Livet.
Drumin Community Circuit is a 2.5-mile loop from the cemetery-side car park at Bridge of Livet. It follows the River Livet downstream to Drumin Castle, then returns through Drumin Woods, fields and short road sections. Allow about 1.5 hours for the walk and a castle stop; the route gains roughly 98 m.
River path and gatesCross the old pedestrian Bridge of Livet and follow the signed grassy path beside the river.
Cross the old pedestrian Bridge of Livet and follow the signed grassy path beside the river. A footbridge leads to the far bank, where two pairs of cattle gates come in quick succession; close them behind you. The route then climbs to a minor road before reaching the castle, with road walking between some path sections.
Drumin CastleThe path circles the castle mound and reaches the walled garden.
The path circles the castle mound and reaches the walled garden. The stone tower is thought to date from the 14th century and was one of three castles owned by Alexander Stewart, later known as the Wolf of Badenoch for his harsh rule. Its setting above the River Livet gives this short circuit a distinct historical stop.
Starting point and nameThis entry follows the Bridge of Livet start.
This entry follows the Bridge of Livet start. Waymarks also identify the route as the George Smith Smugglers’ Trail, which begins at Glenlivet Distillery; that separate approach is not included in this 2.5-mile distance.
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.
