Parking
Start at Carrachs Car Park near Chapeltown (OS grid reference NJ 243 201). No toilets were confirmed at the lot; Tomintoul Square is the nearest public toilet location identified.
Overview
About Scalan Heritage Trail
Why go
- Scalan Seminary and remote farm ruins on one short circuit
- Open views toward the Ladder Hills and Suie
Heads up
- Rough, sometimes wet grass and two water crossings
- Remote access with few services
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation366–456 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 Scalan Heritage Trail, 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
Scalan Seminary from Carrachs0:00 / 0:37
“You're approaching Carrachs, the parking point for Scalan Seminary. The college is about a kilometre away on foot along a rough farm track, so this is a history stop with a walk attached.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- East Auchavaich and the Smugglers Trail
- Coconut Scent in the Gorse
- Why the Stills Are Copper
- Allanreid and the Livet Path
- 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 Scalan Heritage Trail
The circuitThis 2.
This 2.8-mile orange-waymarked loop starts at Carrachs Car Park, crosses open grassy ground to Scalan Seminary, then follows a burn-side track to the farm ruins at Clash of Scalan. It crosses Crombie Water, climbs by an old stone dyke to a fence stile, and returns to the first gate. Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes, with extra time to explore the seminary.
Expect rough grass, uneven estate tracks, a boardwalk and a ford. Parts of the grassy connectors and fence return are only approximate on the app map; follow the orange watermill markers on the ground.
The old collegeScalan, a Gaelic name meaning a turf-roofed hut, was a Catholic seminary from 1716 to 1799.
Scalan, a Gaelic name meaning a turf-roofed hut, was a Catholic seminary from 1716 to 1799. The house is open to visitors year-round. Associated mill buildings nearby have access only on certain occasions.
The burn and ruinsAfter leaving the seminary enclosure, the route heads south over open ground, detours onto a…
After leaving the seminary enclosure, the route heads south over open ground, detours onto a boardwalk at a ford, then rejoins the track beside Crombie Water. Clash of Scalan is a remote group of old farm ruins; the Gaelic name refers to a furrow or narrow, shallow valley. The return crosses the burn again at a ford.
Hillside views and birdsThe stile opens views north to the rounded Bochel and east toward the Ladder Hills and Suie.
The stile opens views north to the rounded Bochel and east toward the Ladder Hills and Suie. Oystercatchers, curlews and lapwings are reported in the area; they nest in spring and gather in larger flocks later in summer.
Access and dogsSheep and cattle may be in the fields.
Sheep and cattle may be in the fields. Keep dogs on a lead or under close control, and release them if cattle threaten. An optional climb from the stile toward Tom Trumper is separate from this loop and may be inaccessible during grouse shooting from August through December.
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.
