Tomintoul Country Walk: Queen's View and Glen Avon

The walk starts at the car park beside the Tomintoul and Glenlivet Discovery Centre in the village square, and goes round in a loop. Roads and a track lead south-west out of the village to Queen's View, 1.7 km from the start, the viewpoint over Strath Avon that the Park Authority's leaflet calls Queen Victoria's viewpoint. The track goes on down the east side of the glen through birch and juniper to a bridge over the Water of Ailnack, 3.7 km, crosses to the west bank and comes back north by Keppoch to Delnabo Bridge over the River Avon, 5.8 km, and up the road to the village.

It is 7.5 km (4.7 miles) with 130 m (427 ft) of ascent; allow about 2½ hours. The grade is Easy by time and climb. The Cairngorms National Park Authority's Paths around Tomintoul leaflet gives the Tomintoul Country Walk as 7.5 km, moderate, allow 3 hours, on minor roads and firm track that can be loose and uneven in places, with moderate slopes and steps up to Queen's View.

The Glenlivet Estate asks walkers to take care around livestock in the lambing and calving seasons, and says that on moorland between August and October access to the hills is only affected during grouse shooting, which does not take place on Sundays: see the notice. A Cairngorms National Park byelaw bans fires and barbecues from 1 April to 30 September.

The Square car park is free (OpenStreetMap: no fee), and Tomintoul has a visitor information centre and shops.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.