Wild Swimming
Linn of Dee
The Linn of Dee is the most dramatic slot gorge on the River Dee — the river compressed into a narrow rock channel before bursting into a deep pool. The bridge gives a view down into the gorge; the swim pools are upstream in the wider 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 Cairngorms.
Quick facts
- Type
- River
- Region
- Cairngorms
- Grid ref
- NO 062 897
- Entry
- Rock slab
- Depth
- Medium (chest-deep)
- 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
Linn of Dee car park on the National Trust for Scotland's Mar Lodge Estate, west of Braemar along the minor road up Deeside — check NTS for current parking arrangements. Access rights apply on the Mar Lodge Estate National Nature Reserve.
Safety
Not a designated bathing water. Never approach the gorge narrows when swimming — the current is powerful even in low water. Stick to the calmer pools upstream, only in low water, and never after rain. The water is cold even in August; a wetsuit is recommended.
Best for
- Cairngorm plateau gateway swim
- photographer combination
- Mar Lodge NNR experience
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:37
- Sunset
- 16:18
- Civil dawn
- 06:55
- Civil dusk
- 17:00
NOAA Solar Calculator · 7 November 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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