Walks | North-East
Oxen Craig, Bennachie
Start: Back O'Bennachie Car Park, near Oyne
Description: Walk up Aberdeenshire's largest hill range to it's highest peak.
OS Map: #38, Aberdeen, Inverurie & Pitmedden
Multimap: Online Map
A straight forward walk that takes in Bennachie's highest top, Oxen Craig (528m), which is also the highest top in the North-East of Scotland. A distance of around 6km, views take in everything from Aberdeen in the East to the Cairngorms and Ben Rinnes in the West, and from Mount Keen, Lochnagar and the Capel Mounth in the South as far as the Sutherland hills in the North on a fine day.
Starting from the Back O' Bennachie car park just off the B9002 just west of the village of Oyne, take the path from the end of the car park up through the trees and across the forestry road. Mainly following and then crossing the burn, the biggest test on the lower climb is lifting your feet over the railway sleepers that have been used as steps to prevent erosion. The path, while well maintained, can be a bit loose when dry...2 steps forward, slide 1 back.
The last few metres up through the trees provides a good view point for the rocky crags on the Northern edge of Craigshannoch. The path makes a fairly steep climb after the treeline, quickly opening up the view to the North to the Foundland and Culsalmond hills. To the West Tap O'Noth is distinctive with it's flat fortress top.
A large rocky area known as Little Oxen Craig can provide a good spot for lunch, with plenty of hollows to hide from any Westerly breeze. From here up the going is fairly easy up to the top. A couple of short, steep rocky / muddy climbs on the summit and the viewpoint is easily reached. Views to Lochanagar, Ben Avon and Ben MacDui can all be expected on a clear day. You can return to the car park by the same route, or for a longer walk keep going onto Watch Craig...
From the summit of Oxen Craig, look west to the next summit, a lower and much flatter affair. Scramble down the rocks and pick up the narrow but worn path (careful, needs a bit of hand and foot co-ordination in wet/ snowy weather) heading towards Watch Craig. The path follows a small dip, and in areas takes the bed of a (usually) dry stream, although there is a fairly boggy area to skirt round about half way across.
An innocuous climb takes you up to the top of this volcanic plug, and a look back shows how much higher up Oxen Craig is, a height not really appreciated from the summit itself. The path that curves around the south of the hill range is the Gordon Way, a 'long' distance route from the Souie Hill in the west to the Bennachie Centre in the East.
From here retrace your steps off the summit, and follow the arrow left (North) across this wide plateau like top. The path cuts into the hill-side as it begins to drop towards the treeline. As soon as you enter the trees, turn right (East) and follow the treeline until the path drops straight down the hillside, watching out for the old boundary stones.
On leaving the trees look straight ahead to the hill top across the trees, the cleared area on the top is the remains of a Roman fort. The path twists it's way through recently cleared land until it comes to the big foresty road again. Turn right here and follow either fork in the road back to the car park.
An even longer alternative (but rather confusing) route, is to follow the Gordon Way WEST from Watch Craig, over the rather battered fence, and continue until you reach the forestry road. From here watch downhill until you can pick up another road further downhill. Go off-road to reach it, and double back so that you follow this road East. The road soon curves downhill, and you should reach a small gate that leads into a ( wet and muddy) fire break through the trees and down to the main forestry road. Turn right here and head back through the trees to the car park, looking down on Premnay, Insch and Oyne on the way. This could add on at least half an hour to 45 minutes to your time.