Tackling Jock's Road: a dramatic walking adventure in the Scottish Highlands

This challenging route over the Grampians passes through history, wilderness and glorious scenery

Scotland is rich in wild histories. Ruins, relics and the stories behind them are found throughout its more isolated landscapes − forgotten, overlooked and often hidden by dint of sheer geographical remoteness.

There was one particular journey and historical narrative I had wanted to follow for years. The Jock’s Road pass involves a traverse through empty glens and across the tops of desolate, whale-back mountains. I would tramp it north to south, leaving the chocolate-box Highland village of Braemar and breaking trail for 20km over high moorland, completing my route amid the steep crags and wooded hillsides of Glen Clova. Although possible to walk in a day, I opted for a leisurely pace, staying the night at one of Scotland’s most unusual mountain shelters along the way.