Lochnagar is a mountain name that may resonate for a reason that many will recall from their childhood.
The Old Man of Lochnagar is not the title of a rock pinnacle or a whole mountain, unlike the Old Man of Storr on Skye or the Old Man of Coniston in the English Lake District, but a children’s story written by HRH Prince Charles. Lochnagar itself is the highest peak in the Royal Deeside area of the Cairngorms.
Indeed, this side of the national park is replete with royal elements. There is Balmoral itself and the nearby Crathie Church, where the royals attend services during their Highland stays. Many local shops have royal patronage and various sites are known to have been beloved of the royals down the years.
With or without its royal connections, Lochnagar is a wonderful place to go. Those undertaking Cairngorms walking holidays should not miss it, while Munroists cannot avoid it.
Indeed, at 3,789 ft the peak is joint 21st among all the Munros with Derry Cairngorm. Its name is taken from Lochnagar, a small lochan lying in a corrie on its eastern flank, with the summit officially known as Carn Cac Beag. The ‘old man’ in the story lives in a cave by the lochan.
It is usually climbed from the east, with a car park at the Spittal of Glenmuick visitor centre. Particularly keen walkers can take a slight northern detour on the way to bag the Corbett of Conachraig. Both this peak and Lochnagar itself offer spectacular northward vistas over the Balmoral estate.
Reaching the summit of Carn Cag Beag is unlikely to be the end goal, least of all for Munroists, who will find themselves in a perfect position on a summer day to bag several more 3,000-footers in a circular walk before descending back to Spittal of Glenmuick.
Without losing much height or facing any steep ascents, this route can tick off a series of Munros; Carn a’ Choire Chaideach, Carn an t-Sagairt Mor, Cairn Bannoch and Broad Cairn follow, before a track route leads down amid the steep slopes above Loch Muick, providing a spectacular yet gentle descent. An alternative route descends to the head of the loch and follows the northern shoreline.
If the walking is not technically challenging, it is still a long trek and such an expedition is best saved for a light summer day.
This area of the national park, lying south and east of the A93, is certainly not short of Munros, all with gentle contours and offering long but rewarding walks – both for the scenery and the progress on the tick list. To the west of the Lochnagar round are peaks such as Tolmount and Tom Buidhe and, a little further west, Creag Leacach, Glas Maol, Cairn of Claise and Carn an Tuirc.
It’s certainly a place of inspiration and it is small wonder that it should capture the storytelling imagination of those who holiday in the area. It may be a tough challenge for a real old man, but even for the young it offers an unforgettable mountain adventure that will be remembered for life.