Parking
Start and finish at Glen Tilt Car Park, Blair Atholl.
Overview
About Lady March’s Cairn Walk
Why go
- Cairn, reservoir and open views toward Ben Vrackie in one circuit.
Heads up
- The wet, rough upper track is unwaymarked.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation162–389 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 Lady March’s Cairn Walk, 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
Old Bridge of Tilt and the Red Squirrel Walk0:00 / 0:26
“You're approaching Old Bridge of Tilt, with woodland walks from Glen Tilt car park. For a short stop, I'd choose the red-marked Red Squirrel Walk, a gentle one-mile loop taking thirty to forty minutes beside the river.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Blair Castle and Gardens
- Atholl Country Life Museum and a Village Meal
- A Siege in the Family
- The Woodland Leaves That Fold
- 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 Lady March’s Cairn Walk
A loop to the cairnLady March’s Cairn Walk is a 5.8-mile loop from Glen Tilt Car Park.
Lady March’s Cairn Walk is a 5.8-mile loop from Glen Tilt Car Park. It follows the Farm and Forest trail toward Blairuachdar Reservoir, doubles back, then climbs through a gate onto open moor before reaching the cairn and returning south beside Banvie Burn toward Old Blair. The estate map shows a car-park circuit, though the small map overlaps several paths at junctions. Carry it and confirm the short links on the ground. Allow about four hours; the upper section can slow you down.
Surface and wayfindingThe lower walk uses the Farm and Forest track.
The lower walk uses the Farm and Forest track. Higher up, the route runs beside woodland, then narrows and becomes rougher; the estate describes this moorland section as unwaymarked and sometimes wet. Wear boots and outdoor clothing, and bring a map and compass so you can follow the route when the tread fades.
Views and wildlifeThe open hillside gives broad views back to Ben Vrackie.
The open hillside gives broad views back to Ben Vrackie. Red deer may be seen along the woodland edge, though wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
Lady March’s CairnThe cairn is a stacked-stone landmark on the moor.
The cairn is a stacked-stone landmark on the moor. The estate’s account says Lady March began building it during a picnic; it makes a natural pause before the descent beside Banvie Burn.
Access and dogsDogs are welcome if kept under control.
Dogs are welcome if kept under control. During stag stalking season (1 August–20 October), Atholl Estates asks walkers to keep to main paths or use its hillphone service. Check current estate guidance before starting, especially because the upper route is unwaymarked.
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.
