Parked at Easter Balmoral – turn up the road to the distillery then go left at a little crossroads and there is a parking area just on the corner. Head towards the building and turn left in front of it. This road leads to a gate to a landrover track – after about 200m turn left and you are on the long track heading up the east side of Lochnagar (goes on to Loch Muick).
Take the obvious path to the right up to Lochnagar – this is about 50/50 push/carry, but you do gain height very quickly. When you get to the bealach at Meikle Pap follow the path on round towards the corrie. There is a fantastic stone staircase all the way to the plateau. Short rocky descent to the point where you can choose either to carry on up and round to the summit or just head down the very obvious path down Glas Allt.
Brilliant path, all upgraded with cyclable rock ladders and pretty well all the water bars are jumpable. We ran out of time as one of the group was struggling, so we ended up peeling off left 3/4 of the way down to take the path that contours back round to the Meikle Pap path – this was 95% rideable as the conditions were pretty dry. Had intended to drop right down to the loch, turn left and head down to pick up the track at Inchnabobart that heads back to Easter Balmoral, or turn left at Allt na Guibhsaich if we fancied the extra climb. The bottom section of the Glas Allt track from the waterfall is very steep but according to one of the other STW posters is mostly rideable with care. Definitely want to do it next time – any volunteers?
It would be much easier to do it from the Loch Muick car park, but if you are coming from the Braemar direction it is about and extra 45 mins from Easter Balmoral/Crathie to the Loch Muick car park, and you don't get the fantastic views into the Lochnagar corrie