Same rule as always before anything else: always go back down the way you came up. If you’re not sure of the ground, that’s the way you know.

A warning for this one: above the trees there are small pieces of metal sticking out of the ground. There’s a few of them, and it lasts for a couple of minutes of walking. Easily avoided when you spot them — but if you’re running, or jumping over sections of the path, this could easily turn into a sore foot.

Clachnaben is a Graham of 589 metres in Aberdeenshire, south of Banchory. It’s the one with the huge granite tor on top, which you can see from the road for miles around on a good day. I saw none of it. The mist came in about two thirds of the way up and stayed.

Getting parked

The app did its job fairly accurately, although I did drive past the car park and had to make a U-turn. It’s easy enough to find, and there’s plenty of space.

The Glen Dye car park with an information board and a tree in the middle of it

Three cars parked with room for plenty more

You can’t miss the start. There’s a board with a clear visual of the walk and where the hill sits, which was handy, because there are a few junctions on the way that aren’t signposted.

Chase waiting up the track by the information board at the start

Through the woods

From the starting point it’s a steady walk, not too steep, through woodland. You’ll come across a tree blocking the path. Jump it if you’re fit enough.

The path through broadleaf woodland with leaf litter underfoot

A wider gravel track running through the pines

The fallen tree lying across the path, Chase already over it with a stick in his mouth

After the tree the path turns downhill. Watch yourself here, as there’s some rocks leading the way.

Roots and rock where the path drops away

The junctions

Just after the pathway you’ll come to your first junction. Go straight on here. You should see a gate in the distance at the bottom of the pathway — just head for that.

Out of the trees at the first junction, a dry stone wall on the left and the moor opening up ahead

The metal gate at the bottom of the track with Chase standing at it

After the gate, if you look to your right, there’s a great inspirational quote on a board out in the middle of the moor. I phoned Katz to show her it. Couldn’t help joking that I wish I woke up to someone like that — she’s never there when I get up, on account of my snoring.

A large board standing out on the open moor

After the sign just keep walking until you come to your second junction. Take the path to the right, walk for another five minutes or so, then a third junction — again, stick to the right.

The second junction out among the sheep, with the hill behind

Chase standing in the middle of the third junction

The water and the bridges

Next there’s a section with water blocking the pathway. If you fancy a stepping stone route and you like wet feet, then crack on through the water. Otherwise there’s a bridge at the left of the path.

Water lying across the width of the track

Both ways across in one shot — the bridge tucked into the bracken on the left, the water on the right

Final junction after the bridge, and again keep to the right. Then you’ll stumble across one last bridge.

The last fork in the track with Chase waiting on it

Looking back down the glen from the bridge

Chase was a bit shaky going over the makeshift bridge, but he’s learning.

Two planks laid over a culvert, seen from behind Chase's head as he works out whether he fancies it

Into the forest

Just at the forest entrance you’ll see another gate and a sign you can’t miss, plus a bit of history on the hill if you’re interested.

The gate and stile at the edge of the trees with Chase heading through

A pink granite cairn with a metal plaque on top, standing at the edge of the forest

The sign is worth reading before you set off up. On the day I walked it — 12 September 2026 — it said the path was closed to let the ground recover, and to use the path to the left instead. That may well have changed by the time you’re stood in front of it, so go by what the sign says rather than what I’ve written here.

A blue sign in the bracken reading Access to Clachnaben, saying the path is closed to let the ground recover and to use the path to the left

The climb through the trees

This is where the climb starts. Nothing too brutal yet, but a few obstacles on the way. The paths are clear, with routes around each fallen tree, but they’re easy enough to hop over — plus it’s fun.

The narrow rocky path starting to climb through the trees, Chase leading

A windblown tree with its rootplate standing on end beside the path

Several trunks lying across the path with Chase sizing them up

Watch your feet

This is the bit from the top of the post. Look out after the trees for small pieces of metal sticking out of the ground. I’ve put a ring round one in the photo so you know the shape you’re looking for. There’s a few of them and it goes on for a couple of minutes.

The path above the trees with a rusted metal stub standing proud of the ground, circled

Out onto the open

After here you walk for another five minutes or so and you hit the open, and start the steeper climb to the summit.

Things started to get misty, so I had to take a photo before I disappeared into the fog.

Out of the trees onto the heather with the last pines on the right

The path climbing through the heather up into the col

Looking back down over the forest with the mist coming over the hills behind it

The stone steps

Then you come to the hardest part of the climb, with a stone step path that lasts around ten to fifteen minutes. The heather was out all the way up either side of it.

Granite steps climbing through heather in full bloom

The rock

On a clear day, after the stones, you could probably see the peak of the hill where the rock is. I couldn’t see it. Just a path. Then the rock revealed itself as I got closer.

The path running up into grey with nothing visible at the end of it

The granite tor showing through the mist for the first time

Looking up the cracked granite of the tor from underneath it

When you reach here, keep to the right and work your way round the back of the rock.

Finding the trig point

At the back of the rock you’ll see a path leading across to the trig point. It took me a good five to ten minutes of looking to find it, down to the visibility. I even checked on top of the rock to see if it was up there. Eventually I took the path, and me and the man took our pose.

The path across the summit plateau disappearing into fog

The way back

Not much of a view on this one today, but I did manage to get some on the way down. The cloud sat in a flat band right across the glen.

The glen opening up on the way down with forest below and heather in the foreground

A flat band of cloud sitting across the glen above the forest

Another summit reached and another star on the map, and we headed back down the way we came up.