Heritage Paths ~ Old Drove Road from Tomintoul to Invercauld
Old Drove Road from Tomintoul to Invercauld Return to Map
Start location: Invercauld House (NO 175 924)
End location: Tomintoul (NJ 165 176)
Path type: Drove Road
Path distance: 32km
Accessibillity info: Suitable for Bikes, Suitable for pedestrians
From 200m east of Invercauld Bridge (A93), go north along the minor road to Keiloch and continue north-west towards Invercauld House. After about 1km, at a signpost, take the steep track on the right uphill and head north by the west side of Meall Gorm and the east of Creag a' Chait to the Bealach Dearg at NO180981. There continue along the track which climbs north-east towards Culardoch before descending to the River Gairn. Cross the bridge and go along the north side of the Gairn, then north along the east side of Loch Builg and down Glen Builg to Inchrory. From there it is 11km along the private road down Glen Avon to Tomintoul.
OS Landranger 36 & 43
ARB Haldane's book The Drove Roads Of Scotland (1951) indicates that this was one of the routes taken by droves of Speyside cattle heading for Braemar. He states that the drovers followed the Avon to Inchrory and then continued south by Loch Builg and Monaltrie Moss. Although Monaltrie Moss lies further east than the line of the route through the Bealach Dearg, the route we have mapped and described here is clearly that marked on Haldane's map of main droving routes. Perhaps the line of the route south of Loch Builg has varied over time, or perhaps Monaltrie Moss was once more extensive. In 1747, the route was said to be in use by cattle thieves. Haldane also writes that "an old drover still living (1948) on Donside remembers it in active use for sheep traffic, the beasts resting for the night beside Loch Builg".
