Glen Callater

One of the Cairngorms’ finest glens: magnificent walking in textbook glacial scenery.

Climb steadily on a good track up this wild and lovely glen to its beautiful eponymous lake (1 hr 20); you can sit on soft grass at the lake foot and revel in the views up to the lake to the high cliffs and flat plateau-ridges beyond.

Walk on along good paths around the lake and on up the magnificent flat-bottomed valley, between steep, glacier-scraped flanks. The valley narrows to classic corries at its far end.

There is a beautifully sited Mountain Bothies Association bothy at the foot of the lake, by the usually-boarded up Lochcallater Lodge, in glacial moraine heaps and with the only trees in the area.

One of Lochnagar’s best approaches starts up the hillside above the bothy. And Jock’s Road across the high ground to thrilling Glen Clova climbs up the steep slopes at the glen-end.

A superb circuit, but a long day (27.5km, 10 hrs or so) is, starting from the foot of Glen Callater, to walk the ridges to the south to bag the Munroes Carn an Tuirc and Cairn of Claise (you can ease this walk a bit by walking up to the foot of Loch Callater and then following the vehicle track up the southern hillside to Cairn of Claise); then turn east to cross moorland towards the flattish peak of Tolmount, your third Munroe of the day. Down in the col to the east of here, turn left on the ancient Jock's Road path, to descend steeply into beautiful upper Glen Callater and on past its equally beautiful loch down to the start of the walk.

This can be remoteish walking in mountains, with always unpredictable weather. Come prepared. It is possible you will meet no-one once you have got beyond Loch Callater.

SEE OUR CAIRNGORMS PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION (INCLUDING PRACTICALITIES) ON AND OTHER GREAT WALKS IN THE AREA.