Cairn Gorm

Cairn Gorm is a mountain in the Cairngorms range of the Scottish Highlands. Its broad, rounded summit rises above Strathspey and is easily seen from Aviemore. The mountain is the sixth highest in Britain and shares its name with the wider range and national park. The Gaelic ‘Gorm’ means blue or green, describing the mountain’s colour from a distance or the vegetation on its slopes. A wind gust of 173 mph was recorded here in 1986, the highest official wind speed in the UK. The north-western slopes have been developed for alpine skiing since the 1960s. Over 600 hectares of Coire Cas and Coire na Ciste now host ski lifts and a funicular railway. The southern corries, like Coire an t-Sneachda, remain wild and remote, overlooked by Loch Avon. The mountain’s tundra climate brings frequent frost and cool summers, with temperatures rarely rising above 25 °C. An automated weather station on the summit records wind and temperature year round. The Windy Ridge path offers a direct route to the summit, recommended by local rangers. The Fiacaill a’ Choire Chais provides another walking route, while a circuit of the cliff tops gives some of Scotland’s finest views. The mountain is home to ptarmigan, dotterel and reindeer, with rare wildflowers like cloudberry growing on its slopes. In winter, the corries become major ice climbing areas, but storms can make the summit dangerous.