Loch Kinord and Burn o' Vat

Distance	Approximate Time	Height Gain	OS Map
11.27 kms	02:50 (hrs:mins)	50 metres	Explorer 405: Aboyne, Alford & Strathdon

Description

A pleasant walk through woods of birch and pine trees in an area rich in wild life - an SSSI. It starts at a car park in the hamlet of Dinnet, and after a spell in mainly birch woods crosses a couple of fields in open farm land and then follows close by the shore of Loch Kinord where the remains of a crannog have been found.

The walk continues on marked paths, passing a carved Celtic cross, then on through wooded moorland. About half way round the Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve visitor centre is reached. This is found at the start of a trail which leads to the Burn o' Vat, a large rock amphitheatre carved out of rock by fluvio-glacial activity at the end of the last ice age. On returning to the visitor centre the walk again returns to a wooded landscape as it continues round the loch before returning to Dinnet by way of the old Deeside railway line.

Access Info

By car on the A93 or by bus on the Aberdeen to Braemar route No. 201. A car park is found at the junction of the A93 and the A97, A tea room and hotel are nearby. Directions from the car park can be tricky to locate, please refer to Explorer map detailed above - the route is also only part waymarked. If walking on the A97, please take care as this can be a busy road - as such this route is not recommended for children.