The Craigendarroch walk begins around 300 metres from the centre of Ballater and is roughly 2 miles long. It derives from two Gaelic words - Craig meaning hill and Darroch meaning oak. It forms a distinct pudding shape and is a steep climb in amongst glorious old oak trees. Formerly used for commerce, the Craigendarroch is now a National Nature Reserve.
Deeside was originally a glacier in the Ice Age and this has left behind a destinctive feature - deep score marks in the exposed rocks at the top. Definitely worth the trip to the top to see these.
On reaching the summit you'll find a bronze plate on a post which clearly shows you which peak you're looking at in each direction. A clear day for this is ideal as the views are simply spectacular.
This cache is part of a series leading on a circular route to the summit of Craigendarroch and back again. This is quite a steep climb in places and is not wheelchair/pushchair accessible. This has steep edges on the descent and rocks can become slippery after wet weather so please be careful, especially if taking mini cachers. Having said this, our 4 and 7 year olds were with us upon the climb and managed without help.
Please note GPS coverage can be sketchy in places due to tree coverage.
A guide to the walk can be found at http://www.deesidewalks.com/2011/12/craigendarroch-to-top-and-back.html