Creag an Loch

Rising steeply above the southern shores of Loch Callater, this rugged Tump offers a more intimate perspective of the glen than the surrounding Munros. Its heathery slopes provide a quiet vantage point over the Callater Burn, tucked away beneath the sprawling high plateaus of Tolmount and Tom Buidhe.

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic 'Creag an Loch', meaning 'Crag of the Loch', a literal reference to its position overlooking the deep waters of Loch Callater.
• •The hill sits directly above the northern section of Jock’s Road, an ancient drove road and historic right of way that provides a high-level mountain crossing between Braemar and Glen Doll.
• •It overlooks the landscape of Queen Victoria’s final excursion with Prince Albert in October 1861; they travelled through nearby Glen Clunie to Glen Callater just two months before Albert's death.
• •The summit offers a clear, profile view of the massive eastern corries of Carn an Tuirc and the long, winding ribbon of the Callater Burn heading back toward Auchallater.
• •Despite the 'Creag' in its name suggesting a dramatic precipice, the ascent is more of a sustained exercise in heather-bashing and peat-hopping than actual rock climbing.