The Tolmounth (Jock’s Road)

The Tolmounth (Jock’s Road) is a 12.7-mile (20.4-kilometre) point-to-point crossing from the A93 at Auchallater to Glen Doll Ranger Base near Braedownie. It follows the old pass beside Loch Callater, climbs to an 880-metre col, crosses open ground near 900 metres, then drops into Glen Doll. Allow about eight hours of walking, with extra time for stops or slow navigation. Arrange transport between the ends before setting out; this is not a loop, and turning back means retracing a long way. It suits experienced hillwalkers ready for a full day on remote mountain ground.

A good track leads southeast up Glen Callater and past Callater Stable bothy to Loch Callater. The route follows the loch’s northeast shore, then keeps beside Allt an Loch as the valley narrows. The headwall is a steep climb to the col between Tolmount and the Knaps of Fafernie. Take a breather there: the route changes character once you leave the clearer glen paths for the open plateau.

The broad high ground is open and featureless, with a slight rise to about 900 metres below Crow Craigies before the route undulates along the ridge toward Craig Lunkard. The line becomes hard to pick out in places. Winter snow can cover it for months, and bad weather turns route-finding into the main challenge. This is a serious mountain crossing, not a waymarked forest stroll; go only when you can navigate confidently in the conditions.

From the ridge, the path drops steeply south into the head of Glen Doll. Keep to the route above White Water rather than descending straight to the river. Davy’s Bourach, a small stone shelter, is a useful landmark. From there the way continues southeast for almost two kilometres before descending to the glen floor and entering forest for the final stretch to the Ranger Base. Heather and blaeberry cover the slopes; golden eagles are sometimes seen over the Glen Doll climb, though a sighting is never assured.

The Tolmounth was a drovers’ route, carrying sheep from Braemar over the pass to Cullow market near Glen Clova. Its public right of way was tested in court after a landowner tried to close it: the case ran through Scotland’s Court of Session in 1886–87 and the House of Lords in 1888. The name’s origin is less certain. A popular story links “Jock” to drover John Winter, but the name was already in use and his identity was later described as a mystery.

Five experienced walkers died in a storm on New Year’s Day 1959. Davie Glen built the stone shelter in 1966 in their memory, and it remains a distinctive landmark on the descent. Pause respectfully, then keep moving: it is a remote shelter on a long route, not a staffed stop or a source of supplies.

There is no food stop on the pass. Glen Doll car park has toilets, and Clova village is the nearest place for food; bring what you need for the crossing. Dogs may come under Scotland’s access rules if kept under proper control, especially around livestock and ground-nesting birds. At Loch Callater, a photo looking southeast toward Tolmount can show both the lochside path and the mountain above it.