On the trail of Jacobites, whisky smugglers and the Monocled Mutineer

Exploring the beauty of the Cairngorms on the North East 250 Driving Route

by Paul Kelbie

The road to Tomintoul from Crathie is naturally spectacular but when you add in the mystery and history that dots the route it’s an experience not to be missed.

As part of a six part exploration of the North East 250 this, the second stage of the journey, takes in a little detour to the Spittal of Glenshee. Although only about 70 miles long in total - the entire section could be completed in little more than an hour - it’s really best savoured rather than rushed.

Looking Over Glen Avon near Tomintoul

Photo Paul Tomkins/VisitScotland

The scenic, winding road takes travellers through the heart of the Cairngorms National Park amid some of the country’s most spectacular scenery.

Setting off from Crathie, on the A93, the Old Military Road pretty much follows the path of the River Dee into the heart of Braemar. This picturesque, historic village sits at what used to be a strategic point on the ancient trackway used by the Picts, Romans and, a bit later, Medieval travellers to cross the Grampian mountains.

Sometime around 1059 King Malcolm III constructed a wooden bridge and a castle at Braemar, which is a variation of the original Gaelic words Bràigh Mhàrr, meaning simply the ‘lands of Marr.

Highland Cows, Delnabo Estate, Tomintoul

Photo Damian Shields/VisitScotland

It was here on 6 September 1715 that the Earl of Marr raised the standard of the exiled King James Stuart and started the 1715 Jacobite rising.

The Earl was also the owner of nearby Braemar Castle, which lies a short distance outside the village. Built in 1628 as a hunting lodge it was forfeited to the British Crown as punishment for Marr’s role in the rebellion.

A large proportion of the lands around Braemar used to belong to Clan Farquharson, until it was taken from them as a reprisal for their part in the 1745 Jacobite rebellion.

In 1748 Braemar Castle was turned into a garrison for Hanoverian troops and remained a military post until 1831 when it was returned to the Farquharsons and used as a family home by the 12th Laird of Invercauld, who regularly played host to a visiting Queen Victoria.

Today the village is world famous for its annual Highland Gathering, which is believed to have started in the time of Malcolm III. Traditionally held on the first Saturday in September it is usually attended by members of the Royal family and ever since the days of Queen Victoria the reigning monarch has been Patron of the Braemar Royal Highland Society.

Standing stone at Spittal of Glenshee

Photo by Daryl McKeown CC BY-SA 2.0

After leaving Braemar the road continues to the Spittal of Glenshee where evidence of former Neolithic residents can be found in the form of a standing stone, behind the old kirk, and a stone circle.

The Spittal is where four glens meet and it is a really popular destination for visitors due to the fantastic variety of accommodation and things to do, from walking, angling and shooting to golf, mountain biking and skiing in winter.

Although continuing the journey to Tomintoul means retracing the route back to Crathie it’s not really a hardship, especially as it provides a second chance to enjoy the view and see so many things probably missed earlier.

Glenshee from the Spittal

Photo by Linda CC BY-SA 2.0

Several specially created vantage points have been installed along the road for travellers to stop and appreciate the changing light on the landscape. The first of these, called Connecting Contours, lies between the Spittal of Glenshee and the Devil’s Elbow.

Once back at Crathie the A93 takes you through a number of former hamlets such as Bush Crathie, Braenaloin and Rinloan where abandoned and dilapidated cottages dot the countryside, adding to the stark beauty of the surroundings.

The route continues to wind its way to Corgarff, a hamlet best known for its castle built in early 16th century by the Elphinstone family.

Corgarff Castle

Photo: Damian Shield/VisitScotland

The fortified tower house was leased to the Forbes of Towie until a feud with Adam Gordon of Auchindoun in 1571 resulted in it being set on fire, killing 26 of the occupants, including Margaret Campbell, Lady Forbes, and her children.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries the castle was repeatedly attacked, destroyed, rebuilt and occupied by various competing sides until it was finally turned into a British military garrison in the wake of Culloden. A contingent of soldiers were stationed there to pacify the Highlands initially and later to help crack down on illegal whisky distilling in the area.

Corgarff Castle is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and is open to the public with an impressive display of how the place would have looked at the time of the Jacobite rebellion.

View from the Lecht on the road from Tomintoul to Braemar

Photo Kenny Lam/VisitScotland

From Corgarff the road goes to Cock Bridge where another art installation, known as The Watchers, provides an ideal vantage point from which to take in the view.

The road then climbs to the Lecht Ski Centre and into Tomintoul, the highest village in the Highlands, which was founded in 1775 as a ‘model’ community by Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon. He had hoped it would reduce theft of his cattle and deter the illegal distilling of spirits in the area.

Drinking Fountain in The Square Tomintoul

Photo Kenny Lam/VisitScotland

Reportedly, in the 18th century, there were more than 200 illicit distilleries in the Livet glen alone and by 1820 the excise men policing the region were confiscating bootleg stills at a rate of 14,000 a year.

It’s no surprise that when the law changed in 1823, allowing whisky to be made legally under licence, one of the first to take advantage was George Smith. His little distillery in Upper Drumin, four miles from Tomintoul, went on to become the world famous Glenlivet.

The Glenlivet Distillery today

Photo: Damian Shields/VisitScotland

Other historic characters associated with the area include the notorious murderer Percy Toplis. A small time Derbyshire crook and a deserter from the British Army during the First World War he was a conman with talent for impersonating upper-class, monocle-wearing officers.

Toplis became notorious after he was accused of being a ring leader during a mutiny by British troops at Etaples, France, just before the battle of Passchendaele in 1917. Although subsequent evidence has suggested he was not involved Toplis was forced to go on the run.

In 1920 he was convicted in absentia of shooting dead a taxi driver in Southampton, even though witnesses put him 20 miles away at the time of the murder, and his photograph was circulated around the country.

The Toplis Bothy on the A979 from Tomintoul to Ballater

Photo by Damian Shields/VisitScotland

Topliss managed to escape to Scotland and hid out in a bothy near Tomintoul until he was discovered by a local policeman and farmer.

In a frantic bid to escape he shot and wounded both men but was eventually cornered outside Plumpton, Cumbria less than month later and shot dead by police.

Over the last 100 years there’s been a lot of debate as to whether Toplis was the victim of an embarrassed establishment that wanted him punished for getting above his station, or nothing more than a common criminal. Even now, mystery continues to surround the Monocled Mutineer

The Old Bridge of Livet, also known as the Packhorse Bridge

Photo Damian Shields/VisitScotland

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