I first visited Corrie Fee almost by accident in August 2022. I was hiking the two Munro summits of Mayar and Driesh and although I knew I would pass through a reputedly beautiful corrie to get there, I hadn’t anticipated just how stunning the place would be.
I had two summits to get to after Corrie Fee back last summer so time was sadly not on my side. I wanted to stay and explore the Corrie some more but had to make my way up Mayar. I determined that I would definitely get back to Corrie Fee though and I did that while staying in Angus last week.
In early Spring on a cloudy and dramatically eerie sort of weather day, the Corrie looked vastly different in colour. But equally stunning.
When I arrived in Corrie Fee in August, the heather was purple and it was a clear day. Incredible. The eerie grey clouds of late March 2023 made for a more dramatic, but equally beautiful visit.
Corrie Fee Quick Facts
So what is Corrie Fee, how was it formed and what will you find here? Here’s the quick fire facts:
- This phenomenal Corrie was formed by a glacier in the Ice Age
- It’s also a National Nature Reserve as the result of the rare plants that grow there and the wildlife that makes Corrie Fee its home
- Amongst the rare plants that grow at Corrie Fee are Alpine Blue Sowthistle, purple saxifrage, globeflower and red campion
- If you get lucky, it’s possible to spot a golden eagle or peregrine falcon flying here. Both are known to be spotted from time to time
So if you’re thinking of walking up to Corrie Fee yourself, here’s everything you’ll need to know.
Corrie Fee (from Glen Doll) Hike
So here’s the data for the walk to Corrie Fee from the Glen Doll car park and back (with a little bit of wandering around in Corrie Fee itself).
Hike date | 31st March 2023 |
Weather conditions | Grey and a little drizzly |
Distance hiked | 7.5km |
Walking time | 2 hours and 1 minute |
Elevation gain total | 207m |
Terrain | Really good gravel footpath through the forest right up to Corrie Fee but then thinner, muddier paths |
Family friendly? | Yes, you could absolutely walk this with children and actually could probably push a pram right up to the Corrie itself (but not through the Corrie) |
This is a really straightforward walk with excellent paths, incredible scenery and good access.
One key thing to note is that there is absolutely no phone signal anywhere in the walk up to the Corrie, around the Corrie (unless you plan to summit Mayar, where I did get signal last year) or actually for a few miles on the drive up to Glen Doll.
Corrie Fee Walking Route from Glen Doll
We took the 4.5 mile round trip from the Glen Doll car park and ranger base. Here’s my AllTrails route.
Here are some common questions about Corrie Fee, so let’s answer them.
Where is the car park for Corrie Fee?
Park at the Glen Doll car park and ranger based (find it on Google Maps easily).
There’s a £3 charge at the time of writing but do be aware that the machine only takes cash! Take coins with you.
At the car park, there is a ranger base with plenty of information about the many trails in the area and also toilets!
Can you get a pushchair/pram to Corrie Fee?
Yes. The path is a wide gravel path through the forest right up to the beginning of the Corrie itself. Take a look:
So yes, you could absolutely get a pushchair or buggy down those paths and actually, they’re like this right up to the point at which you enter the corrie itself.
From there, though, a pushchair wouldn’t be getting very far!
So if your plan is to take the tot to explore the corrie, then you can get as far at the corrie itself, park the pram, go and have an explore and then return to the pram to push the little one back to the car park.
Is it easy to hike to Corrie Fee?
Yes. To go from the Glen Doll car park this is a straightforward walk. It’s around 3km each way, flat in many parts with steeper gradient sections. But the gradients, even at their steepest, would be manageable with a pushchair and are relatively gentle.
The Scenery
It’s stunning. Utterly stunning. Look:
@staceyhikes After visiting Corrie Fee last summer while hiking some nearby munros, I said I’d get back to explore the corrie itself some more. I did that today Such a stunner of a place in all seasons, it seems. In August last year I had blue skies and the Heather wore its purple aummer jacket. Today had a wonderfully eerie vibe in the low cloud. Stunning. #corriefee #scotlandhiking #adventuretime #getoutside #hiketok #hikinguk #scotlandtravel ♬ original sound – andrea
I personally absolutely love it there and will return again this summer for a walk.
The Right Gear
If you’re only planning to walk to Corrie Fee itself and not up any of the surrounding mountains, then you can probably just wear comfortable footwear. Once you get to Corrie Fee, the path can be uneven in points and muddy, so depending on weather conditions you might want hiking boots or waterproof footwear. But this is definitely one you can do in a pair of trainer if you prefer. You don’t need to spend a fortune. Grab a couple of Sports Direct voucher codes and save money on already decent prices. That tends to be my go to for trainers I know are probably going to get ruined on muddy paths 😂
Would I do it again?
Absolutely. Over and over and over.