Forest of Birse/Gannoch Circular

A Moderate 6.9 miles circular walk.  BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL - please contact the walk leader Dawn using the contact details provided to book.

Meeting point will be at the end of the narrow country road at NO 532 906; on arrival it opens out leaving parking for 4 to 5 cars.  OS Landranger Map 44, Grid Reference NO532 906, nearest postcode AB31 6NE.

You take the B976 out of Banchory, through Strachan and once reaching Finzean village (passing the village hall on your right) you take the junction road left towards Birse.  You should pass the Finzean Sawmill on your left if you are on the right road.

You start the walk, taking a right, down a farm track which takes you past the restored Birse Castle.  The route then takes you away from the castle and cutting through the heather you climb out of the glen.  Here the path splits and the map tells you that the right hand track ends at the summit whilst the left hand track extends to reach the Firmonth Road that links Glen Taner with Glen Esk.  There is a little ascent before the split and the views begin to open up and this will take you across the Burn of Auldmad and then the ascent will begin to the summit of Gannoch and then onto the small bump which is called Tampie.  The track then drops towards Glen Tennet aiming to meet the Fungle Road.  This will then run NE past the Castle again and makes the slow descent past waterfalls to the original ford and footbridge and then car park.