Parking
Start at the car park beside Braeloine Visitor Centre (Glen Tanar Visitor Centre). All of the estate’s waymarked walks start here; parking is charged.
Overview
About Knockie Viewpoint Path
Why go
- A short circuit links pinewood, the chapel and a viewpoint.
- Mostly crushed stone and grass with only short, gentle slopes.
Heads up
- The viewpoint gives a glen-and-moorland glimpse rather than a broad summit panorama.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation159–208 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 Knockie Viewpoint Path, 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
Glen Tanar and Fairy Lochan0:00 / 0:33
“Glen Tanar Visitor Centre is coming up, in the former Braeloine Cottage. Park at Braeloine and cross the old arched bridge to reach its heritage displays and ranger advice.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Alder’s Underground Helpers
- The Woodland Drumroll
- Rowan Through the Seasons
- How the Mountains Divide the Rain
- 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 Knockie Viewpoint Path
A short walk for a glen viewKnockie Viewpoint Path is a 3.
Knockie Viewpoint Path is a 3.2 km (about 2 mile) loop from Braeloine Visitor Centre in Glen Tanar. It passes Chapel of St Lesmo, climbs through pinewood to a viewpoint over the forest with moorland beyond, then descends to return by the riverbank. Allow about an hour. It suits a short outing when you want a little climb and an open view without committing to one of the glen's longer circuits.
Follow the Knockie waymarksThe path uses crushed stone and grass, with a few short, gentle slopes.
The path uses crushed stone and grass, with a few short, gentle slopes. Stay with the dedicated Knockie Viewpoint waymarks; Old Pines is a separate, longer circuit that also visits the viewpoint. The view is a glimpse beyond the forest rather than a high mountain panorama, so think of this as a modest scenic walk, not a summit hike.
Stop at Chapel of St LesmoThe route passes the chapel early on. It was built in 1870 by Sir William Cunliffe Brooks.
The route passes the chapel early on. It was built in 1870 by Sir William Cunliffe Brooks. Take a moment here before the path heads through the pinewood toward Knockie.
Starting at BraeloineAll of Glen Tanar's waymarked walks start at Braeloine Visitor Centre, also called Glen Tanar…
All of Glen Tanar's waymarked walks start at Braeloine Visitor Centre, also called Glen Tanar Visitor Centre. The car park and toilets are beside the centre. Dogs are allowed under Scotland's Outdoor Access Code; keep them under proper control, especially near livestock and wildlife.
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.
