Glen
Glen Clova
The most accessible of the Angus Glens — quieter Munros, a corrie loch above the road and a hotel that walkers use as a base.
- Munros
- 2
- Corbetts
- 1
- Grahams
- 2
- Bothies
- 1
- Highest peak
- Driesh (947.6m)
Glen Clova is the most accessible and most varied of the Angus Glens — a steep-sided valley running north into the eastern Cairngorms, reached from Kirriemuir with the B955 starting at Dykehead. The Munros here (Mayar and Driesh above Glen Doll, and Broad Cairn and Lochnagar to the north via the Capel Mounth) see a fraction of the traffic that Munros of equivalent quality attract in the west Highlands. The eastern character of the Cairngorms — drier, more continental, grouse moor on the plateau — gives Clova a different quality from the rockier west Highland glens.
The Glen Clova Hotel, near the top of the glen, is the usual base for walks from this end, and Loch Brandy, a short climb above it, is a half-day walk on its own.
The road in
Parking1 spot
Glen Clova Hotel car park
Charging details not published online — check with the hotel
Ask the hotel before leaving a car overnight. For Mayar, Driesh and Jock's Road, park at Glen Doll instead.
Hills from Glen Clova2 Munros · 1 Corbetts · 2 Grahams
Bothies in the glen1 in range
What's in the glen
Loch Brandy
A corrie loch above the Glen Clova Hotel, reached on a steep path from behind the hotel — a half-day walk there and back.
Corrie Fee
A glaciated corrie above Glen Doll, reached by a marked path from the Glen Doll car park, known for its upland plants.
Our take
Glen Clova is genuinely undervisited. If you want two good Munros on a quiet Saturday in August without the Glencoe circus, drive to Clova instead. Mayar and Driesh from the hotel is a classic circuit and you will have the ridge largely to yourself even in peak season.
History
Glen Clova was a droving glen. Sheep were driven from Braemar over the Tolmount to the market at Cullow, near the foot of the glen, which was held in April and October; the New Statistical Account (1842) called it one of the best sheep markets in the north of Scotland. That droving use is what the Jock's Road case of 1886–88 turned on (ScotWays, read 2026-10-28).
Practical
- Mobile signal
- Patchy signal in the lower glen. None on the high plateau.
- Midges
- Low–moderate(2/5)
- Public transport
- Buses run to Kirriemuir; any service up the glen is limited — check Traveline Scotland before relying on it. A car is the practical option.
- Dogs
- On lead — livestock or ground-nesting birds present.
Map
Hills (green), bothies (brown), parking (blue), wild swimming (light blue), landmarks (dark red).
Scotland outdoor updates
Route guides, condition reports and seasonal picks — once a month, no noise.
Glen Clova — common questions
- What kind of road runs through Glen Clova?
- B-road, mostly two-lane. Build in extra time for the approach.
- Can I take a motorhome or campervan into Glen Clova?
- It can be done, carefully. Glen Clova has stretches where a big vehicle struggles for room — check the parking notes on this page and keep to the passing places.
- Are there midges in Glen Clova?
- Expect a moderate midge season in Glen Clova (2/5), running late May to September. The worst of it comes on sheltered, humid evenings — breezy spots and the high tops stay clearer. Smidge and a head net earn their place from May onwards.
- Can I wild camp in Glen Clova?
- You can. Scotland's Land Reform Act 2003 gives a right to wild camp on most unenclosed land, subject to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code: stay off enclosed agricultural ground, keep numbers small, leave no trace. Note the Loch Lomond and Trossachs Camping Management Zones and their seasonal restrictions do not cover Glen Clova.
- Can I get to Glen Clova without a car?
- Buses run to Kirriemuir; any service up the glen is limited — check Traveline Scotland before relying on it. A car is the practical option.