Cairn O Mount

Cairn O Mount is a 1,480ft / 455m hill with the scenic B974 road running right over the top, 18 miles between Banchory and Fettercairn. The main roads around the hills via Stonehaven or Aberdeen are between 36 and 40 miles.

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Camping & Touring Parks in area

The image top is looking east along Banchory High Street, with the Cairn O Mount Road right in this image at Traffic Lights.

About half of a mile after crossing the River Dee Bridge at Banchory, you pass the Falls of Feuch, where you can watch Fish jumping up the Falls at certain times of year.

The winding road runs 12 miles up to the top of Cairn O Mount with some great views the higher you get.

There is a large Car Park at the top, close to the Summit Cairn. From here, you get great views for miles around, east towards Aberdeen, south towards Dundee.

Three miles south of Cairn O Mount Summit, steep downhill, is the Claterin Brig Restaurant, a popular stop on the road.

Three miles south of Clatering Bridge is the Village of Fettercairn, with its Memorial Arch built in 1864 to commemorate a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1861. The Village is also popular for its Whisky Distillery visits.

Queen Victoria acquired Balmoral in 1848, with them then living at Balmoral Castle for a number of weeks each year. Victoria and Albert liked to travel around the area, often on horse over the Hill Roads, leading to other Monuments in the area to show where they visited.

There is another Memorial for Queen Victoria at Glenesk, on the Hill Track leading to Balmoral.

Glenesk is 15 miles east of Fettercairn, up a Country Road that ends at Glen Mark Estate, with only a Hill Track from there leading over the mountains to Balmoral. Map.

On the Track over the Mountains is the Queens Well, used by Queen Victoria and Albert after they rode over the mountains.

The Queens Well is on the same track as to the 939m / 3,081ft Mount Keen.