Royal Deeside :Ballater
Walking Festival : Information for 2008

Ballater Walking Festival offers a programme designed for walkers of all capabilities from Munro-bagging to pleasant rambles. Each walker can choose to take part in whatever grade of walk they feel suits them best and can participate on as many as six days or as few as one. Most of the walks are situated within the Cairngorms National Park, though a few enter parts of West Aberdeenshire or the Angus Glens which border the Park.

Each day, three categories of walk are available: easy, moderate and strenuous/long. Easy walks are up to six or seven miles long and normally have a minimum of gradient; moderate walks typically measure around ten to twelve miles and may include some substantial hills or the occasional Munro. Strenuous/long walks either include several hundred metres of ascent or are of considerable length. A professional mountain guide normally leads the strenuous walks. Other walks are led by local residents or full-time rangers from Aberdeenshire Council or Balmoral Estate, many of whom have special knowledge of the wild life, vegetation or local history which they are happy to share with visitors.

A message from the organisersl

Since 1998 the Ballater Walking Festival has been held ten times. We are delighted that, judging by the positive feedback, participants found that the 2007 Festival was the best to date. Of course, we are lucky to be surrounded by some of the finest countryside for walking in Britain. But we are also lucky in that we have the support of a team of enthusiastic and skilled leaders and helpers, both professional and volunteers, whose input is vital to the success of the Festival. We believe that this combination of wonderful surrounds and a great team is what makes our festival special.

We have decided to revert to the arrangement of walks starting on the Sunday and being available each day through to Friday. Our aim is always to provide each day interesting walks or rambles of different grades for participants of mixed abilities. We have lined up for next May some great walks which are listed in this brochure. Please read the descriptions of the walks carefully to ensure that any walk chosen is within your capabilities.

We want walkers to enjoy themselves. But we want them to be safe both while walking and while travelling to and from the walks. For safety reasons we have decided that we must set a maximum number of participants for some walks. (Mostly, the restriction will apply to walks that are classified as ‘strenuous’ such as the demanding and spectacular Lairig Ghru walk.) We recommend therefore that you book your place early so as to avoid possible disappointment. Each year, the organisers and helpers of Ballater Walking Festival have great pleasure in welcoming both old ‘friends’ and newcomers. We look forward to meeting you in May 2008.

Evening Programme An evening entertainment programme starts with the formal registration and reception on the Saturday. This enables participants to mix with each other, the leaders and local residents who will accompany them on the walks. Other highlights include dinner, on Monday, at a local restaurant and the week is rounded off on Friday with the popular traditional ceilidh.