Snow Roads - Things to Do

Places of interest

Toplis Bothy

The Toplis Bothy lies on the A939 road from Tomintoul to Ballater, close to The Well of the Lecht. The now derelict bothy has an intriguing history thanks to Percy Toplis, a renowned criminal, who was found hiding out in the bothy in the... read more

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Toplis Bothy

A small bothy near the Well of the Lecht with an intriguing history

Lecht Mine (Well of the Lecht)

Iron ore was mined here between 1730 and 1737 and from 1841 manganese was mined. At its peak more than 60 men worked at the mine but operations ceased in 1846 due to the falling price of maganese.

Today only the building of the... read more

Well of the Lecht
Between the Lecht and Tomintoul

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Lecht Mine (Well of the Lecht)

A pleasant short walk from the car park takes you to the isolated site of the Lecht Mine, a former iron and manganese mining site.

Well of the Lecht
Between the Lecht and Tomintoul

Knock Castle (Ruin)

On the south side of the River Dee, just to the west of Ballater, sit the ruins of Knock Castle. It’s possible to walk to the castle from the village starting from the Old Royal Station. The ruin is a 16th century, four-storey tower house... read more

Knock Castle
Ballater
AB35 5SQ

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Knock Castle (Ruin)

Knock Castle is a four-storey, 16th century ruined tower house located on Knock Hill to the West of Ballater.

Knock Castle
Ballater
AB35 5SQ

St Andrew's Kirkyard

St Andrews Chapel is thought to be the earliest dedication to St Andrew in Scotland. It was located in what is now Braemar’s graveyard at the east of the village near to Braemar Castle. The first chapel was a small wooden... read more

Braemar Kirkyard, Braemar, Scotland

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St Andrew's Kirkyard

This historic kirkyard is said to be the first church in Scotland dedicated to St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.

Braemar Kirkyard, Braemar, Scotland

Cargill's Leap

Donald Cargill was born in Rattray and was a Presbyterian minister and Covenanter. The Covenanters pledged to maintain their own way of worship following the signing of the National Covenant in 1638. But during the latter half of... read more

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Cargill's Leap

A short walk from Blairgowrie along the River Ericht will take you to Cargill’s Leap - the point at which the famous Covenanter, Donald Cargill, is said to have escaped Government troops by jumping across the river.

The Serpent's Stone

The stone can be accessed easily from the Compass Christian Centre just off the A93, or by the unclassified road from Forter to Auchavan and the Glen Beanie track by Dalvanie Farm.

The stone bears a curious twisting hole and... read more

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The Serpent's Stone

The Serpent's Stone is a large boulder on the north side of Loch Beanie with curious markings. The story goes that a witch transformed into a snake to hid there from a local laird who blamed her for the death of his son.

The Hidden College at Scalan

The college is in a remote spot at the foot of the Ladder Hills in the Braes of Glenlivet. Visitors today will note that the college is largely invisible until you are very close to the college.

For much of the 18th century,... read more

Chapeltown of Glenlivet
Ballindalloch
AB37 9JS

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The Hidden College at Scalan

In 1716 Catholic Bishops established a secret college for priests at Scalan. They chose this remote spot to avoid persecution by Hanoverian soldiers. It was this little seminary that ensured the survival of Catholicism in Scotland and about one hundred priests were trained at Scalan up until 1799.

Chapeltown of Glenlivet
Ballindalloch
AB37 9JS

Kirkmichael

The village is centred around the bridge over the River Ardle.

The name Kirkmichael means ‘The Church of St Michael’ and in Gaelic Cill Mhìcheil. The village dates back over a thousand years and was at one time an important... read more

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Kirkmichael

Kirkmichael is around 13 miles from Blairgowrie and is a popular destination due to its close proximity to skiing at Glenshee and Royal Deeside as well as for myriad outdoor sporting pursuits.

Blairfindy Moor Dark Sky Discovery Site

Visit one of our Dark Sky Discovery Sites to get the best views of the night sky. With parking and interpretation, these sites are easily accessible for everyone to enjoy some stargazing, from experienced telescope users and astronomers to... read more

https://www.cairngormsdarkskypark.org

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Blairfindy Moor Dark Sky Discovery Site

The Glenlivet and Tomintoul area is one of the best places in the Cairngorms National Park to discover the wonders of the night sky. It is Scotland's second International Dark Sky Park and the most northerly in the world.

https://www.cairngormsdarkskypark.org