Looked In Kenny F Wilsons book and Scotland The Wild Trails and one describes doing it clockwise and the other suggests anti. Which wat wouls the STW collective suggest doing it. Also given there's a chance that there will still be too much snaw on Mount Keen in early April what other suggestions for rides in that approx area ie Braemar/Ballater.

I've only gone down the north side of Mt Keen which is AWESUM old school descending and the pick of that route IMO.

As for alternatives, no idea.

Anti-clockwise gets you a lovely bit of singletrack off the Fungle road to The Guard and a very fast descent off the summit of Mount Keen to Glen Mark BUT the climb onto MK is hike-a-bike most of the way. I've stupidly done this twice, despite vowing never again after the first time.

From what I've heard, clockwise is better as you can ride all/most of the way to the top.