Glen
Glen Esk
The most easterly and most agricultural of the Angus Glens — an approachable introduction to eastern Cairngorms walking, with a folk museum and a ruined loch-side church.
- Munros
- 1
- Corbetts
- 1
- Grahams
- 1
- Bothies
- 1
- Highest peak
- Mount Keen (939.4m)
Glen Esk runs north from Edzell on the edge of the Angus farming lowlands into the eastern foothills of the Cairngorms. It is the most agricultural and least dramatic of the Angus Glens — broader, gentler, and with more working farms along its length. The Glenesk Folk Museum at The Retreat, just before Tarfside, holds a collection of local history and folk artefacts.
Hill walks from the glen head give access to Mount Keen (939m), the most easterly Munro in Scotland — a long but technically straightforward hill that can also be approached from Deeside. The glen is popular with cyclists as well as walkers.
The road in
Parking2 spots
Invermark car park
Charging details not published online — check signs on site
Car park at the road end near Invermark Castle. The usual start for Mount Keen.
Glenesk Museum car park
Charging details not published online — check with the museum
At The Retreat museum, just before Tarfside.
Hills from Glen Esk1 Munros · 1 Corbetts · 1 Grahams
Bothies in the glen1 in range
What's in the glen
Glenesk Folk Museum (The Retreat)
The Glenesk Folk Museum, in The Retreat just before Tarfside — a collection of local artefacts, photographs and records documenting the social history of the Angus Glens.
Invermark Castle
The ruins of Invermark Castle near the road end — a tower house associated with the Lindsay family, standing where the routes over the Mounth to Deeside leave the glen. View it from outside.
Loch Lee
A loch at the head of the glen beyond Invermark, with a ruined church on its shore. Historic Environment Scotland notes that St Drostan is believed to have founded a church on the site in the late 8th century; the present ruin probably dates from the late 17th century, was slated in 1784 and fell out of use when the new parish church was built in 1803.
Our take
Glen Esk is the Angus Glen for people who want a good day out without any of the pressure of the higher-profile glens. Mount Keen from the glen head is a satisfying Munro with minimal technical difficulty. The lower glen is good for cycling.
History
The ruined church on the shore of Loch Lee stands on a site where St Drostan is believed to have founded a church in the late 8th century. The building there now probably dates from the late 17th century and went out of use in 1803; its churchyard holds a memorial to Alexander Ross (1699–1784), the local schoolmaster whose poem The Fortunate Shepherdess was admired by Robert Burns (Historic Environment Scotland, LB11356).
The Glenesk Folk Museum at The Retreat is the primary resource for the glen's recorded history. Founded in 1955 using a collection assembled by Greta Michie over several decades, it documents agricultural life, the estate system and the social structure of the Angus Glens.
Practical
- Mobile signal
- Reasonable signal in the lower glen. None at the glen head.
- Midges
- Low–moderate(2/5)
- Public transport
- Buses reach Edzell — check Traveline Scotland. We know of no service up the glen.
- Dogs
- On lead — livestock or ground-nesting birds present.
Map
Hills (green), bothies (brown), parking (blue), wild swimming (light blue).
Nearby glens
Scotland outdoor updates
Route guides, condition reports and seasonal picks — once a month, no noise.
Glen Esk — common questions
- What kind of road runs through Glen Esk?
- B-road, mostly two-lane. Build in extra time for the approach.
- Can I take a motorhome or campervan into Glen Esk?
- It can be done, carefully. Glen Esk 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 Esk?
- Expect a moderate midge season in Glen Esk (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 Esk?
- 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 Esk.
- Can I get to Glen Esk without a car?
- Buses reach Edzell — check Traveline Scotland. We know of no service up the glen.