Wild Swimming
Linn of Dee
The Linn of Dee is the most dramatic slot gorge on the River Dee — the full width of the river compressed into a 2m-wide crack in the rock before exploding into a deep pool. The salmon-watching platform gives a view down into the gorge; the swim pools are upstream in the wide, calm sections above the narrows, where the river spreads over flat rock slabs. This is the classic starting point for Mar Lodge Estate walks into the Cairngorm plateau.
Quick facts
- Type
- River
- Region
- Cairngorms
- Grid ref
- NO 062 897
- Entry
- Rock slab
- Depth
- Medium (chest-deep)
- Summer water temp
- 6–12°C
- Midges
- Moderate
- Dogs
- On lead only
Key hazards
- cold water year-round (Cairngorm snowmelt)
- strong current in the gorge slot
- very slippery rock
Getting there
Large NatureScot car park at Linn of Dee (AB35 5YB), 9km west of Braemar on the Glenshee road. SOAC rights apply on Mar Lodge National Nature Reserve.
Parking postcode: AB35 5YB
Safety
Never approach the gorge narrows when swimming — the current is hydraulically powerful even in low water. The upstream pools are safe. Water is snowmelt-cold (6–12°C) even in August. Wetsuit recommended.
Best for
- Cairngorm plateau gateway swim
- photographer combination
- Mar Lodge NNR experience
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 04:20
- Sunset
- 22:13
- Civil dawn
- 03:12
- Civil dusk
- 23:21
NOAA Solar Calculator · 23 June 2026
Common questions
- Can you swim at the Linn of Dee?
- In the flat-rock pool sections above the narrows, yes. Never in the gorge slot itself — the current there is extremely strong regardless of how calm it looks from above.
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