The Queen's Well – A Stone Crown in an Empty Glen
About 5 miles on foot.
At the head of Glen Esk a side glen runs north towards Mount Keen, and a few kilometres up it a crown of stone arches stands over a spring on the open floor of the glen.
Queen Victoria drank here in 1861, and the monument was raised to mark it. The walk to it is a long, gentle track with the hills closing in, about 8 km there and back.
- Time
- Two to two and a half hours: 8 km (5 miles) there and back by Walkhighlands' figure, on a broad, gentle track.
- The path
- A broad unsurfaced track through fields with gates, then beside the river.
- Where to start
- The Invermark car park at the end of the public road up Glen Esk. Free. DD9 7YZ is the nearest postcode.
- Set off
- From November to January, set off by noon to be back in daylight.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. From November to January set off by noon. In the stalking season, 21 October to 15 February for hinds, keep to the track.
- Dogs
- Welcome, on a lead: sheep in the fields.
- Children
- Gentle going with no edges, but a long way for small legs and no shelter.
- Toilets
- None at Invermark: the nearest are at the Tarfside car park, down the glen.
- Before you set out
- A working estate: keep to the track in the stalking season, with hinds from 21 October to 15 February.
The walk
Park at Invermark, where the public road up Glen Esk ends. The car park is free, and DD9 7YZ is the nearest postcode. There are no toilets here. The nearest are at the Tarfside car park, back down the glen. The well is up Glen Mark, the side glen that runs north towards Mount Keen. Walkhighlands gives the walk as 8 km there and back and allows two to two and a half hours.
It's a broad track nearly all the way, past the church and a farm, across grazed fields with gates, then beside the Water of Mark with the hills drawing in. The well is a spring under a crown of rough stone arches topped with a cross, standing alone on the floor of the glen. On 20 September 1861 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert rode over the hills from Balmoral, were met here by Lord Dalhousie, and drank from the spring. He had the crown built over it afterwards, with an inscription round the basin to say so. The track goes on to Mount Keen, which is a full mountain day and no part of this walk. Sheep graze the fields, so dogs stay on a lead.
Deer are stalked on these hills, with hinds in season from 21 October to 15 February, so keep to the track and follow any notice at the car park. There's no shelter anywhere on the way. From November to January, set off by noon. The Glenesk Folk Museum, on the glen road near Tarfside, has a café. It's open from noon every day but Monday, until 4.30pm in October and 3.30pm from 1 November, and it shuts from 21 December 2026 until 5 February 2027.
If it rains
The track is firm in the wet, but there isn't a scrap of shelter between the car park and the well, and cloud hides the hills. In steady rain, keep it for another day.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
For further reading, before you go.
Photograph by Brian Taylor via Google