In the event of an emergency, contact the local police or ring 999 and be prepared to say where the emergency has arisen, with a grid reference if at all possible. If you are carrying a mobile phone bear in mind that in large parts of the Highlands it is not possible to get a signal. Your best chance of getting a signal in many mountain areas may be high up on the summits, but even here it may not be possible.
When to Go
This guide has been written with the summer walker in mind. Summer conditions will usually prevail between May and September, although deeplying snow can last into the summer in some high places, affecting the safety of otherwise ‘easy’ routes. ‘Winter’ storms are not uncommon in May or September - I have been caught out by snow in June! You should always obtain an up-to-date weather forecast from one of the many specialized forecast services before venturing into the Scottish hills. Avalanche warn-ings for specific areas are available on the internet at: www.sais.gov.uk.
Beinn Dearg from the col
Eas Mor waterfall (Routes 50, 51)
In winter conditions many routes may not be possible without strong all-round mountaineering experience. Navigation becomes more difficult, simple scrambles can become technical climbs, daylight is short and deteriorating weather can quickly lead to arctic conditions. Whilst a covering of snow can greatly add to the beauty and atmosphere of these mountains, remember that paths, cairns and other markers can quickly be obliterated; corniced ridges, snowdrifts and iced-up rock can make simple summer routes slow and fraught with danger. The Scottish hills should never be underestimated.
Enjoy them safely. Happy climbing!
CAIRNGORMS: BRAEMAR
THE CAIRNGORMS: INTRODUCTION
There is no agreed and definitive boundary to the mountains known as the Cairngorms (Routes 1–12). The name comes from two mountains which were both originally called An Carn Gorm. One of these, now known as Cairn Gorm, is at the centre of the Scottish ski industry; the other is now known as Derry Cairngorm. The widespread use of the collective name ‘Cairngorms’ to describe the range of hills around these two peaks seems to have started in the 19th century and grown in the 20th century, displacing earlier names such as Am Monadh Ruadh, ‘the red mountain land’, or Mounth.
Some people hold that the Cairngorms embrace only those hills that lie between the Dee and the Spey, although this would exclude hills such as Lochnagar, which many people think of as being part of the Cairngorms. Peter Drummond, in his book Scottish Hill and Mountain Names, describes how the use of the Cairngorms as a generic name has gradually ‘spread out like a ripple in a pond to become the name of the whole range’. Other writers have used ‘the Cairngorms’ to refer to all of the mountains lying to the east of the A9, and the new Cairngorm National Park would have largely embraced this idea were it not for last-minute political shenanigans. As it stands, the national park’s boundary includes the Lochnagar hills, but cuts meaninglessly right across the middle of hills such as Carn Bhac, Beinn Iutharn Mhor, The Cairnwell and others.
The range is also known, particularly in atlases, as the Grampians, although this is not a locally used name today. The Grampians is another very vague appellation. Some sources use it just to refer to the mountains that lie to the south of Braemar; the British Geological Survey uses it to refer to a much bigger area that includes Ben Nevis.
I am aware that this matter of names bothers some people greatly, and I have no particular axe to grind in this matter, but for the purposes of this book I have referred to the Cairngorms fairly loosely to include all the ranges that surround Braemar; this includes the Lochnagar hills, the Glenshee hills and the other hills to the immediate south of Glen Dee. My reason for doing this is quite simple: from a hillwalker’s point of view all these hills share a great deal in terms of their geology, their flora and fauna and, more importantly for the walker, the nature of their topography and the weather patterns that affect them.
Walking in the Cairngorms can be a very serious undertaking, even in summer, and it is essential that your fitness, skills and preparation are up to scratch. Many of the summits are very remote, involving very long outings and an absence of quick escape routes. The rolling, high-level plateaux can leave the walker exposed to the worst of the elements for much longer than in other ranges where there are fast descents to the valley. It is important to bear in mind that the times given for walks are guidelines only and do not include time for lunch breaks and other stops. Some parties might find that these times are much faster than they can easily manage, and all parties should allow a generous extra margin for breaks, mishaps and unforeseen delays. The use of a bike on the long estate roads is recommended, where possible, to shorten the day.
Navigation in these hills is frequently more demanding than in other areas, since the rounded and indeterminate nature of much of the terrain means that there may be very few obvious features to work from, often over very great distances. In white-out conditions this can become a nightmare, but even in the summer months - when the weather is bad and visibility is poor - navigation can be extremely difficult, and the consequences of a mistake can be serious.
The other characteristic that these hills share is the weather. There is something about the position of these hills, combined with their topography, that attracts some of the worst weather that Britain has to offer. True, in the summer months there is often less rainfall here than in Scotland’s western and northern ranges, but extreme winds can howl over these hills at any time of year; in winter the conditions can be truly Arctic. Map reading in such conditions can be virtually impossible, so it would help to know your route as thoroughly as possible before setting out, including checking escape routes and noting key bearings. It is also important to check the weather forecast with one of the specialized mountain weather services before setting out. Always be prepared to postpone a walk if the weather or the forecast is not good.
The Cairgorm massif is a beautiful but fragile environment which is protected under European and British law. Take care to minimise your impact on the birds, plants and animals that live here and take all your litter home with you.
ROUTE 1
Beinn a’ Bhuird (1197m), Ben Avon (Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuidhe) (1171m)
Pronunciation: Bine yuh Voordge; Ben Arn; Labby un Dive Vooyuh
Translation: Table Mountain; Mountain of the River Avon; Bed of the Yellow Stag
| Start | along estate road past Keiloch and Invercauld House |
| Distance | 36km (of which 14km can be covered by bike on estate tracks) |
| Total Ascent | 1210m |
| Grade | see the general introduction to the Cairngorms (above) |
| Time | 10hrs 10mins (about 2hrs 15mins less if a bike is used on the estate track) |
| Maps | OS sheets 36 and 43; Explorer map 404; Area Map 6 |
| Access | Invercauld Estate, tel: 013397 41224 or 013397 41911 |
| Parking | off-road at Keiloch, where there is now a walkers’ car park (currently £2.50) |
| Accommodation | Hostel - YHA Braemar; independent Ballater; B&B/hotel - Braemar; Ballater; Camping - Braemar; Ballater |
This tough, long route makes an excellent circuit, with superb views on a clear day from Beinn a’ Bhuird over the rest of the Cairngorms. The huge plateau that gives Beinn a’ Bhuird its name is well appreciated from the southern flanks of Ben Avon. Isolated granite tors stand up like a series of strange growths on the smooth surface of these mighty hills, giving them the appearance of some distant planet, and many a climber, caught in deteriorating conditions, has learnt the hard way that this is not a place to be underestimated.