What would you say if I told you, you can camp at Royal Family’s property? It may be a long way to walk there from Braemar, but if you follow my steps from that day, you will end up by Loch Muick at Royals back garden. And who knows, maybe King Charles himself will be expecting your arrival when you decide to camp on his front door.
I left Braemar’s campsite at 7am expecting a long and strenuous day. My planned route was already showing over 27km but looking at the map once again I spotted two nearby Munros. I knew I just had to put them in the bag. Munro bagging? What it actually is? There are 282 mountains in Scotland above 3000 feet (to compare- there is 15 in Wales and 4 in England), named after Sir Hugh Munro, who first published a list of them in 1891. To bag a Munro you simply reach it’s summit.
After leaving Braemar I walked on a road for nearly 2 miles until I reached Auchallater. Turned into a track following Callater Burn all the way to Loch Callater. At 8am I was already sweating. It was really hot again. And humid. There was something in the air. You could tell something was coming. And I didn’t like it.
On the shore of Loch Callater sits Lochcallater Lodge with a Callater Bothy next to it. My vetter (person who checked my submitted TGO route) suggested I should stop at the Lodge and say hi to Bill and Duncan. Not knowing what to really expect, stopping at a stranger’s house, I approached the lodge. I was greeted before I even had a chance to come inside. Talk about the Highland’s hospitality! I was given a cup of tea and offered a bacon butty. Couldn’t say no to that!
Lochcallater Lodge truly is a magical place- rather basic but felt so homely and a warm welcome from the hosts was second to none! Sitting by the fireplace with my tea and full belly, watching the whole wall filled photos of the Challengers from the previous years, I feeled like not only time stopped in that place, but so did all the worries. Bill showed me around the lodge in case I wanted to stop there for a night next time. And you know, I think I will.
I wish I could have stayed there longer but I had to carry on. After walking alongside the loch I joined the Jock’s Road. Steep and brutal in that heat, mostly with backpack that has just been filled with my resupply parcel. One can’t help but wonder while looking at the mountains ahead, who was Jock and why he wanted to get to Glen Cova so badly. To my surprise Jock was a real person! In the late nineteenth century Duncan MacPherson bought the Glen Doll estate and tried to ban people’s access to his land. John ‘Jock’ Winter was fighting for the access to the estate via the old drove route. Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society fought MacPherson through all the courts to the House of Lords winning in 1888, which led to passing the Scottish Rights of Way Act. Who would have thought that thanks to this brutal track and a man named Jock, we have freedom to roam in Scotland to this day.
My watch started sending me storm alerts like crazy. It was coming. I left the Jock’s Road and turned towards nearby Munros- Tolmount and Tom Buidhe. View towards Cairngorms was unreal- dark clouds were covering the sky. I heard a distant thunder. Better keep going and get myself down as soon as possible. Went down the steep pathless slope, crossed little stream and rejoined Jock’s Road. Just about time- the heavens opened with rain, thunders were getting close, exploding one after the other. I kept walking. Was I scared? For sure, I felt uneasy. But I knew I was relatively safe- even on 800m there were mountains nearby higher than that. And if it was about to strike, it would most likely be there. Also, what choice did I have?
Approaching Glas Allt Shiel I was running out of any power left. I fell few times on wet rocks, last hill almost broke me. But step after step I made it to Loch Muick. Skies cleared out, just like a sign. It stopped raining- nothing worse than pitching the tent when it rains. And there it was- Glas Allt Shiel, King’s back garden. And I mean it- it was built by Queen Victoria in 1868 where she was escaping the world after the death of her husband Albert. The building is still used as a holiday home and hunting lodge by the Royal Family.
One of the outhouses is still used as a bothy. I was camping at the grounds, outside King Charles’ front door, but you can stay there, at his property. Who would have thought!
Route taken: Braemar Campsite- Auchallater- Loch Callater- Jock’s Road- Tolmount- Tom Buidhe- Craigs of Loch Esk- Bachnagairn- Loch Muick- Glas Allt Shiel (30km)
Outdoors with Karolina 