History
Historically the Lairig Ghru has been used simply as a route between Deeside and Strathspey. It is often referred to as a Drove Road, and while it's not wrong to do so, arguably that over-emphasises one specific use. The Lairig Ghru has been a route used by many different people, for many different purposes as made clear in Haldane (1952), and was in regular use long before the height of the droving trade in the more peaceful times after the middle of the 18th century:
The natural barrier of hills which stand round the head waters of the two rivers was thus less of a protection than a source of danger, and it was over paths trodden by centuries of raiding traffic that, when more peaceful times came, the drovers of north-east Scotland passed on their way to the trysts and their lawful occasions —Haldane (1952) (p115)The Lairig Ghru was used as a droving-route as late as 1873 - Haldane (1952) - to Braemar and farther south. Until approximately the 1870s men from Rothiemurchus annually, in the spring, cleared the track of rocks that had fallen on to it during the winter.
Modern road traffic now travels over the Pass of Drumochter via the A9 or The Lecht on the A939, and the Lairig Ghru is left to walkers.
The full route from Aviemore to Braemar is about 43 km (27 mi), though many walkers cut the walk short by starting or finishing at Linn of Dee. The 8 km (5.0 mi) from there to Braemar is along a tarmac road.
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