Morrone Trail

Morrone Trail is the full 7.5-mile (12 km) loop from Braemar village to the top of Morrone, then southwest into Glen Clunie and north beside the River Clunie. Allow about five hours, with roughly 650 m of climbing. This is a strenuous half-day hillwalk, not a quick viewpoint visit: the ascent is long and steep, the descent keeps rolling, and the payoff is a true summit followed by a quieter valley road. If all you want is the summit, a separate four-mile out-and-back starts by Braemar Pond on Chapel Brae; it leaves out the Glen Clunie and riverside return.

From the village centre, cross the Clunie bridge and head along the main street toward Linn of Dee. At the small roundabout, turn up Chapel Brae; pass the pond car park and the last houses, then keep left on the signed Morrone track. It climbs through birchwood past a fork and a bench with a view back over Braemar. The trees give you a little shelter, but the bench is a pause, not a false summit: there is still a lot of hill ahead.

After the gate, the route leaves the trees for open moor. Follow the main path as it steepens over narrow, stony, sometimes rocky ground, with steps on the longer climb. The path is clear in ordinary visibility, and the village views open out below as you gain height. Piles of stones mark the slope; as the gradient eases, the summit mast comes into view. Keep following the path around to the trig point rather than stopping at an earlier rise.

At 859 m, the summit is a trig pillar beside a broad cairn and the radio-relay mast and buildings. The view turns all the way around: the high Cairngorms make the strongest skyline, with Braemar below and Grampian hills in other directions. The masts are part of the summit, a conspicuous contrast to the bare hill. For a photo, put the cairn or a slice of the summit path in the foreground and point north to give the Cairngorms view some scale.

The circuit leaves the top on a track to the southwest. It drops, climbs a small hillock near 824 m, then bends east into Glen Clunie. The rocky upper descent gives way to clearer track, but it is still a long way back; take a breather before committing to the valley. In mist, the open slope makes it easier to follow the wrong line, and the short climb on the descent can look like the summit when you are tired.

At the minor road, turn north along the old military road beside the River Clunie. It passes a cattle grid and Braemar Golf Course before buildings lead you back into the village. This is easier than the hill path, but it is still part of the 12 km loop, so keep time and energy for it. The Chapel Brae out-and-back is the shorter summit visit; this circuit earns its extra distance with a full descent into Glen Clunie and a riverside finish.

Start and finish in Braemar village centre. If village parking is difficult, the car park at the top of Chapel Brae beside Braemar Pond is a convenient place to join the route; it has a height barrier for tall vehicles. The hill is exposed and colder and windier than town, so bring warm layers and navigation; poor visibility makes the upper path harder to follow. Dogs are welcome; keep yours close to heel or on a short lead, especially between April and August and around livestock.