Càrn a' Mhàim

Càrn a’ Mhàim is a Scottish mountain in the Cairngorms range, about fifteen kilometres west of Braemar in Aberdeenshire. It sits on a long ridge that runs south from Ben Macdhui and reaches 1,037 metres. The mountain forms part of the central Cairngorms between the Lairig Ghru and Lairig an Laoigh passes. Its Gaelic name means either ‘Cairn of the large rounded hill’ or ‘Hill of the Pass’, referring to the Lairig Ghru entrance. From the south the mountain looks rounded, though it is really a north–south ridge. The slopes drop steeply west to the Lairig Ghru and more gently east to the Luibeg Burn valley. The ridge linking Càrn a’ Mhàim to Ben Macdhui is the only significant ridge walk in the Cairngorms. Irvine Butterfield called it an exhilarating arête with fine views of The Devil’s Point and Cairn Toul. The route drops to a col at about 800 metres before climbing 500 metres up Allt Clach nan Tàillear to reach Ben Macdhui’s summit plateau. The mountain’s southern slopes rise from Robbers Copse at the foot of Glen Luibeg. The summit offers wide views across the heart of the Cairngorms. The usual start is at Linn of Dee car park, where a track leads to Derry Lodge. Walkers can cycle part of this section before following the path past the lodge. After 2.5 kilometres the route reaches Robbers Copse and then climbs the steep southern slope to the top. The summit ridge runs for two kilometres north to Ben Macdhui, giving a long high traverse. From the top the high hills of the central Cairngorms stand out clearly.