📌 Road pass between Fettercairn & Strachan, Aberdeenshire
★★★
The narrow road snaking over the southern Cairngorms between Fettercairn and Strachan was once an important military route into the Highlands from the plains to the south. Today it’s a vital link for residents of Deeside, and a relatively easy way to experience the wide open landscapes of the hill range for the rest of us. There are two laybys close to the top of the pass: the northern one giving access to a 4,000 year-old cairn marking the true summit, and the southern one providing the best views south across the low-lying Howe of the Mearns. Extra care may be required if making a winter trip: exposure to easterly winds and a top height of over 450 metres above sea level brings the associated ice and snow hazards.
🌍 Location
📌 South end is at Fettercairn
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 651736
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.851625,-2.574901
△ Summit is at:
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 650807
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.916643,-2.577269
📌 North end is at Strachan
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 675923
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.020547,-2.536102
🚌 Extremely infrequent bus to Fettercairn at south end of pass, but no public transport across the pass itself
🚗 Surfaced B-road, suitable for most vehicles, mostly wide single-track, with several car parks & laybys
📝 Key info
▶ 23 km / 14 mi | ▲ 380 m
⌚ Almost always open – snow closes the pass a few times each winter, mainly overnight
🎫 Free