📌 Braemar, Aberdeenshire
★★★
Ballochbuie Forest is fairly seldom visited by walkers nowadays, but Queen Victoria must have appreciated it when she saved it from being felled in 1878, having it added to the royal Balmoral Estate. In the depths of the forest are the Garbh Allt Falls, overlooked by a graceful, green iron arch. Another bridge also competes for attention on this walk: the old Invercauld bridge dates to 1752, with views towards Lochnagar from the crest of its handsome span.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Track along the south bank of the River Dee 
Garbh Allt waterfalls 
Garbh Allt waterfalls 
Garbh Allt waterfalls 
Garbh Allt waterfalls from the upper footbridge 
Upper footbridge 
Strange fungus on the return track 
(Old) Bridge of Dee 
Bridge of Dee 
Newt in the River Dee 
New Invercauld Bridge (A93) from the old bridge 
View downstream towards Lochnager
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at Keiloch, off A93 3 mi west of Braemar
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 188913
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.005364,-3.337877
🚌 Bus stops on A93 at Invercauld Bridge
🚗 Car park (charge)
📝 Key info
▶ 6 km / 4 mi | ▲ 130 m | ⌛ 1.5-2 hr
Features: 🌊 Garbh Allt Falls; 🌉 Invercauld bridges
⬤ Easy | Mostly good forest tracks; narrow paths by Garbh Allt Falls.
Download file for GPS➡️ Clockwise lollipop circuit: start – old Invercauld bridge over River Dee – Glenbeg Burn near confluence with River Dee – bridge over Garbh Allt at 🧭 NO 198898 – iron bridge above Garbh Allt Falls via east bank – descent via path on west bank then direct track to old Invercauld bridge – return by outward route
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: A couple of roe deer and some huge bread-like fungi in Ballochbuie Forest; newts in rocky pools next to the Dee at Invercauld Bridge.
Weather: Mostly cloudy with some bright spells, temperature in mid teens.
May 2014
