If you are looking for a relatively easy walk to the summit of a Corbett, Morrone is a great choice. It is also called Morven on the OS map, although confusingly there is another Corbett called Morven near Aboyne.
The route to Morrone summit starts and finishes in the Aberdeenshire town of Braemar and is around 9km total distance for an out-and-back hike, or 12km for a circuit route.
The total ascent is around 535m to reach the 859m summit, with Braemar sitting above 330m elevation.
I enjoyed htis Corbett walk the day after a double Corbett circuit of Creag an Dail Bheag and Culardoch. It offered a good leg stretcher and another summit for my bagged list.
Walk of the Corbett Morrone
My friend Ben and I parked in the centre of Braemar, although it is possible to use a car park close to a duck pond to the west of the town.
The route followed a well-trodden path and has signage so it was easy to find the way. We passed through woodlands and reached a viewpoint plaque. A bench close by with lovely views remembered two people who had enjoyed walking in the area
The gradient was perfect for a second day of Corbett bagging – it’s a little steep in places, but mostly fairly easy-going – and the views quickly developed. Ben and I stopped to look back over the town and along a wide strath.
I was a little irritated by all the mini cairns en route to the summit. Is there any need for these? Sometimes, a small cairn can be helpful with route directions, such as at the start of a path heading off a track but, mostly, the cairns serve no purpose unless to mark the summit. Moving stones and rocks from the mountain slope to form unnecessary cairns – at one point there were five cairns in a row halfway up the mountain – seems ridiculous. Although, please do correct me if there is an importance to these cairns.
The path continued uphill, worn in places, and as the gradient eased towards the summit we spotted a metal mast. This provides a radio relay station for the local mountain rescue team and, while ugly, they do serve an important purpose.
A trig pillar marks the top and if you look past and around the mast and buildings, you see a wonderful vista of mountains of the wider Cairngorms.
Ben and I retraced our steps to return to Braemar. Another time we might complete the circuit suggested on the Walk Highlands website.
Our route on Morrone: OS Maps.
Corbetts bagged: 129.