A magnetic recording medium having excellent magnetic read/write characteristics and thermal stability characteristics, and a method of manufacturing therefor, and a magnetic read/write apparatus are provided. This magnetic recording medium comprises an orientation control film 3 that controls the orientation of a film provided directly thereabove, a perpendicular magnetic film 5, of which the axis of easy magnetization is generally oriented perpendicular to a substrate, and a protective film 6, that are provided on a non-magnetic substrate 1, wherein the orientation control film 3 is made of a non-magnetic material which contains 33 to 80 at % of Ni and one or more kinds of elements selected from Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb and Ta.