Lairig Ghru

Start at Coylumbridge near Rothiemurchus Camp and Caravan Park; the route uses the lane past a cottage toward an old parking area. It ends at Linn of Dee car park, so arrange a second car or return transport, and check the current timetable if you plan to use a bus. There are no food or water services along the crossing. Corrour Bothy is a basic side trip, not a place to resupply.

The first miles follow woodland paths through mature Scots pine beside the river. Cross the Cairngorm Club footbridge, built in 1912, and turn right for the pass at Piccadilly crossroads. Climb through thinning trees to the natural treeline; young pines are regenerating and the pass opens ahead. At Allt Druidh, use the built crossing and ignore the branch for Braeriach. These woods are capercaillie habitat; keep dogs at heel or on a short lead, especially from March through August.

Above Allt Druidh, climb between steep mountain walls to the 833–835 m pass. The roughest kilometre or two crosses boulder moraines, where the path disappears repeatedly; expect slow, careful footwork and navigation. The crossing is exposed, poor visibility raises the stakes, and snow often lingers in winter. For a photo, frame the pass between its scree slopes with bouldery ground in front to show the scale.

Two small lochans called the Pools of Dee sit in the pass; water runs beneath the stones here, marking one source of the River Dee. After the larger pool, keep to the burn’s left bank. A right-hand branch heads into An Garbh Choire, not Linn of Dee. The path improves beyond the stones. For the defining view, include the pools with Cairn Toul behind them.

The route passes Clach nan Taillear, the Stone of the Tailors, then bends around the southern slopes of Càrn a’ Mhaim into Glen Luibeg. The burn crossing can be awkward; a short detour on the left reaches a footbridge. Continue downstream through pine, cross the River Derry footbridge at Derry Lodge, then follow the Glen Lui track and duckboards over wet ground to Linn of Dee.

A side path and bridge lead to Corrour Bothy below Devil’s Point. It is volunteer-maintained and has a composting toilet, but it is a detour, not a service on the main route. Treat it as a basic bothy, not a place to resupply.

Lairig Ghru follows a weakness in the Cairngorms’ granite mass, then glaciers sharpened its walls. The slopes shed scree, and boulder moraines blanket the pass—why the path disappears where navigation matters most.

People have crossed here for centuries, first as cattle thieves and later as drovers moving stock between Strathspey and Deeside. Droving continued until about 1873, and workers once moved summit boulders aside to clear a way. Local legend ties Clach nan Taillear to tailors who died in a blizzard after betting they could cross. “Gloomy Pass” is a common translation, but it may come from an Ordnance Survey error; a local name means “Western Pass.”