Parking
Start at Glen Doll Ranger Base car park, reached by the minor road from the head of Glen Clova. Toilets are on site; the nearest places to eat are in Clova village.
Overview
About South Esk Trail
Why go
- Riverside walking, a footbridge and upper-glen views in a one-hour loop
- A varied short circuit without committing to a longer hill walk
Heads up
- Rocky and muddy patches with short steep, stepped slopes
- A road section interrupts the riverside path
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation255–313 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 South Esk 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
Glen Doll and Corrie Fee0:00 / 0:28
“You're coming up on Glen Doll, the road end for the walk to Corrie Fee.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Fight for Jock’s Road
- Loch Brandy from Milltown of Clova
- The Curlew’s Curved Bill
- Loch Muick from Spittal
- 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 South Esk Trail
The loopThe South Esk Trail is a 2-mile (3.
The South Esk Trail is a 2-mile (3.4 km) circuit from Glen Doll Ranger Base, following the River South Esk before opening to views up upper Glen Clova. Allow about an hour. It’s a good choice for a short walk with more variety than a flat riverside path, but the rough ground and short steep slopes make it a moderate outing.
River and bridgeThe South Esk is the main draw.
The South Esk is the main draw. The circuit includes a footbridge and a stretch beside the road as it returns toward the start. When the route opens out at the top of Glen Clova, you get a wider look into the surrounding hills.
UnderfootExpect uneven grassy and earthy path, narrow rocky and muddy sections, and short steeper slopes…
Expect uneven grassy and earthy path, narrow rocky and muddy sections, and short steeper slopes with rough stone steps. There’s a bridge, then a section alongside the road; this isn’t a smooth, level stroll all the way round.
Watch the river and skyDippers and grey wagtails may be feeding along the stream.
Dippers and grey wagtails may be feeding along the stream. Where the path opens into the upper glen, look up for golden eagles circling overhead. The wooden footbridge is the best photo stop: include its rail in the foreground, with the water and hills behind it.
Start and practicalitiesStart at Glen Doll Ranger Base car park, reached by the minor road from the head of Glen Clova.
Start at Glen Doll Ranger Base car park, reached by the minor road from the head of Glen Clova. Toilets are available at the car park; the nearest places to eat are in Clova village. Dogs can come along under Scotland’s access rules, but keep them under proper control around sheep and ground-nesting birds.
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.
