Doire Bhraghad


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.

Location Information

Location’s Area

Linn of Dee : Braemar : Scotland

Photography Genre

Woodland

Access Difficulty

Moderate – Lots of up-hill forest paths; when moving off path for compositions lots of deep heather and bracken to move through.

Time to Location

46 minutes

Distance to Location

1.63 miles

Elevation Climbed

321 feet


Parking

Nation Trust Car Park at Linn of Dee
Free for members; £3 all day non-members
View on Google Maps


All information correct as of October 2022


Directions

Leave the car park and head along the marked paths through the woods for just over a mile to the footbridge over the river. Then head right and slightly uphill. After you pass a path to your left (stay on the path) you will slowly find the woodlands above you on the flanks of the hill. The best areas I have found are between A and B on the route map below.

Basically, when you see interesting trees, stop off the path and climb the hill until you find your composition.

Eventually you will get to a junction of paths and if you take the one on the right, this will drop you down to the road back to the car park. You may find this path is overgrown and if so, take the middle path which will also drop down to the road.

When you are on the road, head to your right and the car park is about 1 mile away.

Download file for GPS

Some images captured at this location: –

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