Some notes about the Lairig Ghru and places of interest to look out for on the route along with some local folklore.

Larig Ghru - It was the opinion of an old gaelic speaking stalker from Rothiemurchas the original form of the name was Lairig Cruidh or the pass of the cattle - but not favoured by people who have made a study of Highland names. It was an old droving road from Speyside to Deeside and also used by the young women of Rothiemurchus who carried baskets of eggs through on their heads to sell in Deeside. Seton Gordon walked through the Ghru with the Prince of Wales in 1922 - the Prince travelling to Balmoral from Dunrobin castle. The Prince shared his food with the game keeper.

Glen Lui used to be well populated but was cleared in the 19th century. Many remains of the old villages can be seen alongside the approach road to Derry Lodge. After crossing Black Bridge and turning up the Glen two fairy knolls can be seen on the river plain. There is an open bothy down by the river just before Derry Lodge. The graffiti is worth seeing! Derry Lodge in Glen Lui, - an old shooting lodge which belonged to the Duke of Fife, and now, after other changes of ownership of the estate, to the National Trust. At one time it was leased by the Cairngorm Club from Aberdeen but due to increased rents the club eventually bought their own place at Inverey. Sadly Derry Lodge is now boarded up. There is a phone adjacent to the Mountain Rescue hut for use in emergency.

Unoccupied Luibeg Cottage can be seen on the left across the river as you head up Glen Luibeg. This was once the home of the legendary Bob Scott, the gamekeeper. Other occupants were the MacDonald family who moved there from Bynack Lodge. Nell, known as Nell Bynoch, was a mountain guide and took parties to the top of Ben MacDhui on 22 occasions. She died in 2001. The original bothy used by so many hill walkers in the past no longer exists. On the left as you cross the Luibeg burn is a cluster of Pines known to the old gaelic speaking people as "Preas nam Meirleach" The Robber’s thicket. It is said that cattle raiders from Lochaber once hid here.

The Dalmore Gold - The area to the north of the river Dee used to be known as Dalmore, the big field, and Mar Lodge as Dalmore. It was originally owned by McKenzies, who were forced to sell out to the Earl of Mar after the 1715 rebellion. One laird originally concealed gold stolen while on a raid into Lochaber territory, in the Garchary, (Garbh Choire Dhe) then moved it to Coire na Craoibh Ora " the gold tree corrie " in Glen Luibeg on the southern slopes of Derry Cairngorm. Near to the Robber’s thicket is a solitary and very old pine tree ( it may be gone now! ) called " Craobh an oir " - the tree of gold or treasure where the MacKenzie treasure was buried.. It was moved again and buried under a big stone on Carn Geldie (885995) on which he cut the figure of a horseshoe. The site of this stone is visible from Mar Lodge (Dalmore). The gold was never found. Apparantly a shepherdess once found the stone. She stuck her distaff into the ground and went for help but when she returned with some men the whole hillside was covered in distaffs! " An Taillear Ruadh " the red haired tailor was next to find the stone but when he came with friends he could not locate it . It is said that the treasure is reserved for a Ruadhraigh Ruadh, a Red Roderick, a McKenzie on both sides of the family, He will come on it some misty morning while looking for a strayed ox. (This story taken from " The Royal Dee " author Alex Inkson McConnachie).

Bridge across the Luibeg - built by the Cairngorm Club from Aberdeen. A few hundred yards west of Luibeg a large stone lies on the ground beside the burn and near the track. Fionnlaigh Mor, the earl of Mar’s strong man threw this to its current position over the neck of a pony during a competition with the " champion " from Rothiemurchus. As the shoulder of Carn a’Mhaim is crossed there is a good view into Glen Geussachan, meaning the glen of pinewoods, on the west bank of the Dee. There are no trees there now. Looking downstream the little mountain of Carn Cloich-mhuilinn can be seen. This was to be Hugh Munro’s last mountain. Unfortunately he never managed to climb the Inaccessible Pinnacle in Skye so he never ever climbed this hill either. It is no longer " a Munro " having been downgraded to a Munro Top of Beinn Bhrotain.

Corrour Bothy - This mountain bothy, named after the coire behind, Coire Odhar, was previously occupied for most of the year by deer watchers for the Duke of Fife. Charles Robertson, who is said to have tamed the mice there, was succeeded by John McIntosh, the piper who often played the pipes there with Seton Gordon. See Seton Gordon’s " The Cairngorm Hills of Scotland ". Now it is a much frequented open bothy with room around for camping and a good starting point to climb the mountains to the west of the Lairig Ghru - Devil’s Point, Cairn Toul, Braeriach.

Clach nan Taillear - the tailors stone (http://uk.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?GridE=296800&GridN=798600&scale=25000). Located north of Corrour beside the Lairig Ghru path. This is a group of boulders piled together where three Rothiemurcas tailors perished on their way to Dalmore. According to tradition they wagered one Hogmanay that they would dance at three locations within 24 hours. Having danced at Abernethy and Rothiemurchus they set off for Castleton of Braemar through the Lairig Ghru but died at this pile of rocks having been caught in a blizzard.

Pools of Dee - These are fed by an underground stream rising on Ben MacDhui. The outflow from the pools runs under the boulder field and the resulting stream meets up with the infant Dee flowing out of Garbh Coire. At the junction, the stream from the pools seemed larger than the stream originating at the wells of Dee, but the latter is the accredited source.

Craig an Leth-choin - the rock of the halfdog or lurcher- This is an outlying peak of Ben Macdhui high on the right hand side as the path descends to Rothiemurchus. The name commemorates a great fox hunt which started at Revoan east of Loch Morlich and ended at Craig Leth-choin where a lurcher in the excitement fell to its death of these high rocks