Overview

Doire Bhraghad covers the south and south-western sides of Creag a’ Bhuilg. It is thickly wooded – hence its name, which means “Thicket of the Brae” or “the Wooded Brae”.

This circular route starting and ending at the National Trust for Scotland’s car park at Linn of Dee, provides some excellent opportunities to capture the pines and birch trees covering the hillside.

The main photography area I have found is between A and B on the route map below. You can approach the route from either direction, but I recommend walking in a clockwise direction, heading off through the woods at the back of the car park.

To get the most from this location you will really need to get off the path and head slightly up hill. This way you can get above the compositions and look down into the glen cutting off the risk of sky intruding into the images. Also, for most of the day (depending on the time of the year), the far-side of the glen will be in shadow providing a cool blue backdrop through the trees. In autumn this can be wonderfully offset against the golden leaves of the birch trees.

Unfortunately, as the estate continues its regeneration of the woodlands, more and more young pines are growing up and will provide an ever increasing distraction in compositions. So the beauty of this location from a photography perspective will be short lived.