Lairig Ghru

The Lairig Ghru is a mountain pass cutting through the heart of the Cairngorms in Aberdeenshire. It lies partly on the Mar Lodge Estate and connects the valleys of Glen Lui and Glen Dee from the south with Glenmore and Rothiemurchus Forest from the north. The route follows an old drove road once used by cattle drovers heading to southern fairs. Its name comes from the Gaelic for ‘hill pass’, though scholars still debate the meaning of Ghru. Two streams appear to ooze from the valley floor near the summit, giving one possible clue to its origin. The landscape around the pass is open and wild, with few landmarks to mark its edges. The pass has served travellers for centuries, long before droving became common in the 18th century. Historical records show it was used for raiding and trade long before peaceful times allowed cattle to be driven south. Men from Rothiemurchus cleared rocks from the track every spring until the 1870s. Modern roads now bypass the pass, leaving it to walkers seeking solitude. The full route from Aviemore to Braemar stretches about forty-three kilometres, though many shorten the walk to start or finish at Linn of Dee. The eight-kilometre stretch from there to Braemar follows a quiet tarmac road. Walkers find a simple stone bothy called Corrour Bothy on the western side, used as a mountain refuge. Nearby stands Clach nan Taillear, a large ribbed stone marking the spot where tailors perished in a blizzard after dancing across three glens. The River Dee rises high on Braeriach and flows through the southern half of the pass, gathering water from both sides. The track itself is rough and uneven, with no clear start or end, fading into the open moorland. Views stretch across vast plateaus and deep corries, making the journey as much about the surroundings as the destination.