Head along the South Dee-side road towards the Bridge of Muick.  At the Bridge of Muick take the trail South Southwest through the Balintober forest and up past the Chapel Loch and back out onto the road just East of Birkhall and the river Muick.  A track just South of the Cocks Neck takes you down and over the Cocks Neck Bridge and out at Mill Of Sterin, then its South Southwest along the West side of the River Muick up past the Falls O Muick and onwards to Inchnabobart.  Turning Right, take you up hill in between Caisteal Na Caillich and Meal Gorm and up to Tom Bad a Mhonaidh where a Y junction takes you west down hill to Lochnagar Distillery and Balmoral or the East or right hand track at Y junction runs down through Bovaglie, Loinveg and on to Littlemill. Once at Littlemill head East along the B976 up past Loch Ullachie and right into the the north end of the Alltcailleach forest at the top of the Nocks brae.  In the Alltcailleach forest you  have two choices, One choice is take Charlie's back passage (Technical Single track ) and the other choice carries along the land rover track and meets the end of Charlie's back passage, then go right on the unclassified road North of Birkhall and along to Mill of Sterin. You have now done a loop, this time after climbing the Cocks Neck its left at the top and next right into the Balintober forest and out onto the main road at the Bridge O Muick and back to Ballater. There is more single tracks to add on to this run but as they are not all on an Os map ask at Cyclehighlands for more info.