3 Mountain Passes to explore in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It has a rich prehistoric and historic heritage. It is the locus of a large number of Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological sites, including Longman Hill, Kempstone Hill, Catto Long Barrow and Cairn Lee. There are also so many other things to see and do around this county.
Cairn O' Mount is a high mountain pass in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It has served as an ancient military route at least from Roman times through the 13th century AD. The alignment of the Cairnamounth, Elsick Mounth and Causey Mounth ancient trackways had a strong influence on the medieval siting of many fortifications and other settlements in the area comprised by present-day Aberdeenshire on both sides of the River Dee.
Cairnwell Pass is a mountain pass at an elevation of 670m above the sea level, located in the Scottish Highlands. It's one of the highest roads of the country, and at the summit is the Glenshee Ski Centre, Scotland's largest and oldest ski centre. Historically, the pass was a drover's route from the Lowlands to the Highlands. The road is often blocked by snow in the winter.
The Lairig Ghru is the best known hill-pass in Scotland. Nestled in the middle of Cairngorms National Park, it was once one of the main routes used for driving cattle and transporting goods through the Cairngorm mountains. Its 500-metre deep trench cuts between the second and third highest mountains in the United Kingdom, creating a trail that is wild and remote.