Mullach Clach a' Bhlàir

Mullach Clach a’ Bhlàir is a Munro in the central Cairngorms, standing 1019 metres high. Its Gaelic name means ‘summit of the stony plain’, and it lies in the Highland council area about 20 kilometres south of Aviemore and 30 kilometres west of Braemar. Unlike most Cairngorms Munros, it is a broad, low-profile summit on the south-west edge of a wide upland plateau called the Moine Mòr at roughly 950 metres. The plateau stretches south-west from the neighbouring Munros Sgòr Gaoith and Braeriach, and the summit area of Mullach Clach a’ Bhlàir forms only a gentle rise marked by a cairn. Steeper grassy and heathery slopes drop away to the south and west, ending in cliffs above Glen Feshie, while a longer, more prominent south-west ridge leads down to the glen. The mountain’s position on the Cairngorms’ western fringe makes it a practical target for Munro-baggers. Walkers usually start from a car park at the end of the Glen Feshie road, which leaves the Spey valley south of Aviemore. From there several routes climb to the Moine Mòr plateau, the easiest being a rough track south of Coire Garbhlach that passes a few hundred metres north of the summit cairn. A steeper ascent follows Coire Garbhlach itself, while the long south-west ridge above Creag na Gaibhre offers another route to the top. Many climbers combine Mullach Clach a’ Bhlàir with the nearby Munro Sgòr Gaoith, which rises to 1118 metres on the plateau’s northern edge. At the summit a broad, grassy plateau surrounds the small cairn that marks the highest point. The south-west ridge falls gently at first, then steepens into rocky bluffs above Glen Feshie. To the north, the plateau drops into Coire Garbhlach, a deep, canyon-like corrie cut into the upland. The lower slopes are covered in heather and coarse grass with scattered stones, while the south-west ridge shows patches of scree and crags. From the summit the view stretches across the Moine Mòr to the higher Cairngorms peaks and down into Glen Feshie.