Location:
The Linn Of Dee lies around 6 miles to the West of the Aberdeenshire village of Braemar, within the beautiful Dee Valley. The Linn is accessible via a small country lane from Braemar, which has several lay-bys en-route that give fantastic views across the Dee Valley. The road continues on past the Mar Lodge Estate, which is a popular local wedding venue. It's at this point where the road begins to narrow so caution must be taken as there are a number of blind corners. The car park is accessed by crossing the bridge that straddles the Linn. The bridge was opened in 1857 by Queen Victoria, having been built by the Earl of Mar to replace a previous timber structure.
Local Wildlife:
The car park, which is run by the National Trust, is surrounded by an ancient Caledonian Pine Forest, home to families of Red Squirrel. I was lucky enough to spot a young family of red squirrels playing in the trees by the side of road. Unfortunately I don't have a zoom lens for taking good close-ups, however I did manage to get close enough to take the following image.
The Linn:
The gorge is just a short walk away from the car park, the view is truly stunning. The river snakes through the 300m gorge which has been eroded over thousands of years, before levelling out and flowing through the trees along the valley floor.
To the West of the bridge lies a beautiful flat floodplain which leads towards the waterfall that enters the Linn.
The waterfall presents a great opportunity for photographers to take some long exposures. Unfortunately my visit here was prior to me buying my NiSi Filters, so I do intend on revisiting the area to take some. It is also a great spot to sit and relax and soak up the sun on a day like the one i visited.
Looking downstream through the gorge towards the bridge is another great photographic opportunity.
Surrounding Areas:
As well as the Linn, there is a host of different walks available from the Linn Of Dee car park. These include a walk out to Derry Lodge, which can be extended to take on the Lairig Ghru or for a bigger challenge, Ben Macdui. Alternatively the circular trail of Sgor Mor or heading out to the West towards An Sgarsoch and Carn an Fhidhleir. Routes that I hope to cover in future blogs.