Meall a' Bhuachaille

Meall a’ Bhuachaille is a mountain in the Cairngorms of the Scottish Highlands. It stands ten kilometres east of Aviemore, north of Loch Morlich and Glenmore Forest. The slopes rise from a forested glen and stretch across open moorland to the summit ridge. Two ridges join the main peak: Creagan Gorm to the south-west and Craiggowrie to the west. The mountain’s name means ‘the herdsman’s hill’ in Gaelic, a reminder of its long use for grazing. The mountain draws walkers with its clear paths and wide views. The usual start is Loch Morlich, where a track climbs through pine and birch before opening onto the moor. A second route follows the Ryvoan Pass past An Lochan Uaine, the green lochan, to the old Ryvoan bothy. From the bothy a faint path turns west to the summit ridge. Hill runners race here each year, tackling the slopes from Badaguish Outdoor Centre in under an hour. On the summit a broad plateau gives a 360-degree outlook over the Cairngorms. To the east the plateau drops to the Lairig Ghru pass, while to the north the hills of the Monadhliath range appear. The descent can be made back to Loch Morlich or continued along the ridge to Creagan Gorm. The mountain’s slopes hold red deer and ptarmigan, and the forest below shelters pine marten and red squirrel.