Route 3: Carn Daimh/Glenlivet (White Trail)

Total Distance: 28 km, 17 miles.

Off road: Approx: 70%

Trail Information: A strenuous, lengthy, challenging but highly rewarding route through varied terrain climbing to 570 m and providing spectacular views. Off road sections mainly on forest roads and farm racks. Parts of the route can be rough, muddy, wet and exposed at times (sometimes all at once!). The public road sections are generally quiet but please take care on the Strathavon road which has many twisting and narrow corners. Livestock are present on some sections on the descent to Tomnavoulin and bikes may need to be carried over stiles or walked along certain parts of the route particularly on the ascent from Altnaglander.

Recommended start point: Glenconglass Farm(GR 172 223)
Other Car Parks: Tomnavoulin (GR 212 265),Balcorach (GR 154 265)

Places of interest: Carn Daimh Viewpoint, GlenlivetDistillery, Blairfindy Castle, Drumin Castle, Drumin Museum of Scottish Country Life, Blairfindy moorland demonstration site.

Approximate duration: Allow 4 hours.

From Glenconglass car park, follow the farm track and forest road N then NW as for Route 2. After passing the junction with the access track to Inverchor, continue NW, keeping straight on at the next junction (on the left) to reach another junction where the road turns downhill towards the Chabet Water. Leave R2 (which continues NW) and head right (NE) down to the bridge over the Chabet Water. Cross the bridge, then continue uphill (eastwards) through the woods to a quarry at the junction of several forest roads. Continue NW past the quarry taking the right fork (uphill) to the next junction. Turn right (NE) following the forest road eastwards then southwards to the summit of Carn Daimh, which provides spectacular views over the Glenlivet hills and Cairngorms. From the summit head SE along a stony track (rough in places), which is part of the Speyside Way, to re-enter woods at Carn Ellick. Enter the woods at the gate and follow the peaty track (S) through the trees to the junction in the forest marked by a wooden finger post. Turn left (N) and follow forest track downhill (signposted to Tomnavoulin), continuing through the gate at the edge of the plantation then downhill through the fields along a farm track to meet the farm road near Craighead. Continue NE, through the shelter belt of trees along the farm road past Westerton house, to reach the junction with Easter Corrie farm road, (where the main track heads E along a tarred road to reach Tomnavoulin). Leave the road at this junction heading straight on (NE) over a couple of stiles to join a path (part of Walk 5) in Clash Wood. (A detour into Tomnavoulin can be made if required – where a shop and post office provide an opportunity for refreshments). Once on the path in Clash Wood continue NE alongside the boundary fence on the grassy path that joins the forest road near the Clash Wood car park. Turn right when reaching the forest road, following it a short distance to the gate at the car park. Cross the stile and turn left (N) onto the public road (known locally as the Gallowhill Road) which continues NE past Blairfindy Farmhouse and Gallowhill. At the junction overlooking the Glenlivet Distillery (to which a detour can be made to see the visitor centre if required) continue westwards on the left fork and follow the road downhill to the next junction at Drumin Smithy. Turn left onto B9136 and continue to Drumin, where a further detour to see the Country Museum and Drumin Castle can easily be made. From Drumin head SW on the B9136 to the picnic site at Altnaglander. Turn left (S) at the picnic site leaving the public road to join an old (now redundant) short section of road that leads across a bridge to a gate which provides access to a farm and hill track. Head uphill along the track that continues south along the eastern edge of the plantation for 1km (the going is difficult and bikes may need to walked here) to a gate in the forest fence where the route is signposted to the right (W). Continue through the gate into the trees and follow the track for 100m to where it joins a forest road. Continue steeply uphill along the forest road which eventually levels out and opens up providing some enjoyable views over the surrounding moorland. At the highest point of the road, a small information shelter to the left provides interpretation about moorland management and wildlife. Continue S on the forest road as it descends through the trees past the junction with the loop road on the right (which can be used as an alternative if required) to reach the forest road junction near the quarry on the outward route. Retrace the outbound route from the quarry to return to the car park and starting point at Glenconglass.

Glenlivet welcomes you to explore its tracks and byways.