I hesitate to comment as I'm a first-timer so I'm only going by the maps.

I'm planning to aim for Braemar then taking a route north of Lochnagar via Gelder Shiel and Spittal of Glenmuik, then via Water of Mark to Tarfside.

From there to Montrose there doesn't seem to be a route that avoids a lot of road walking - I've tried to weave a route that's quiet, but I can't find many tracks or paths for the last day and a half.

I submitted,itted my route last night - it will be interesting to see if the letters suggest alternatives.

Looking forward to putting faces to names on the hill!

Graham

This is always funny stage I find!

The suggestion to walk to Ballater and then take Mount Keen to Tayside is a good one. This is a lovely walk in many ways. An early start from Ballater will get you into Tarfside reasonably quickly. The downside is that you have to take the long walk to Ballater the day before.

Another straight forward option is to take the tracks through Balmoral and then walk up to Geldie Shiel Bothy or go on (longish day), skirting Lochnaghar and then aiming for the Shielin of mark Bothy. From here is as a half day walk to get into Tarfside.

If you like to prolong the hilly feel another option is to walk to Collator and then take Jock's Road over to Glen Clova, you then have an option to walk over higher land to Tarfisde the day after.

From Tarfside the simple solution is to walk to Edzell, camp at North Water Bridge and then take the roads and lanes into St Cyrus.

I prefer to aim for the Fetteresso Forest which is nowhere near as scary as many suggest). The reason I like it is that you can stay offloads until you are almost at Stonehaven. The Forest can be approached from either Ballater of Tarfside. I like my last night of camping to be in the Forest.

If the forest option sounds interesting give me an email at andy.howell AT me DOT com and I can help with access, grid references and so on.

There are a ZILLION ways....

Now, if you want highly social ...

Braemar to LochCallater Lodge (nice Corbett if via Sron nan Gaghar and Creag nan Gabhar) (Party Sun)
Then Callater via Jocks Road to Glen Clova (Mon)or nicer -
Carn Bannock, Broad Cairn, Pony Hut, Bachnagairn, Moulzie, Glen Clova (Mon)
then Up via Loch Brandy and over to Tarfside (Tue), then via Edzell to North Water Bridge (Wed) and then to the Coast (Thu)
or also from Callater
Up and over to Dubh Loch, down to Lock Muick to Spittal, Up the Allt Darrie and over to Shielin of Mark, then over Muckle Cairn to Glen Lee, Kirkton and Tarfside.

None of which I am doing this year, but these are very social routes.

What about if your a miserable sod and don't want to be social? ;-)

Here we go Andy!
My advice, for what it's worth, is to ignore Montrose as a finish point and head for Stonehaven or the more stunning finish at Dunnottar Castle. This would keep you off the roads until about 6k from the coast. There is a good bus service from either point direct to Montrose to sign off. Don't ask for a route as there are too many to list and if you are going to navigate across Scotland you should be able to plot a route from Braemar/Ballater to Stonehaven.
BTW my NdP is Grumpy, and now you know why.

At times like this I miss Derek

@ Grumpy
Plotting a route is no problem. Plotting a good route is different. I've never hiked in Scotland, so not sure what to expect. I mean, I'm used to snow (a lot!) in May, I would never go hiking in the mountains here in may.

I've been thinking of Jack's Road and heading over to Tarfside, to avoid the roads. The route seems pretty straight forward, but I don't know when to chose my FWA, or even what that would be.

My other choice is finishing at Dunnottar Castle, to stay off the roads as long as possible. I've been looking at (online) maps all afternoon, I have to get some paper maps soon.

If our paths cross, please be nice

I'll second Andrew W's recommendations. Enjoy your planning - it's all part of the fun

Hi Ulla, and welcome to the Challenge.

By now you should have read the Entry Notes sent to you by the TGO Challenge Co-ordinators. Pages 4 & 5 provide you with an excellent list of route planning resources. This is more than adequate to provide you with the necessary tools to decide upon a 'good route.'

Add this resource to Ordnance Survey maps and Google 3D view and you have a wealth of information available.

It's not that many years ago when all we had available to help us plan a route across Scotland was OS maps, books and Challengers' accounts of their crossings from the The Great Outdoors October magazines.



You have a few months now to enjoy the first part of the Challenge; planning your route, and sorting the logistics of travelling to your start point and back home from Montrose.

Have a great time.

Alan