Meall a’ Bhuachaille circuit | Glenmore | Cairngorms National Park
Website: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/meallabhuachaille.shtml
Know Before You Go: Weather in Scotland changes in an instant. We hiked in sunny weather, experienced rain and strong winds halfway up, then viewed the cairn at the top in fog. The weather cleared on our hike down the opposite side of the mountain. Also, when we got to the bottom on the west side, instead of taking the trail by the creek we elected to take a spur to the right that was difficult, minimally maintained, but shorter and gorgeous. Take cash to pay the parking meter in case the credit card machine is broken.
Length: 5.25 miles
Time: 3.5 - 4.5 hours
Difficulty: Difficult
Terrain: Rock, scree, dirt/grass.
Dog-Friendly: Yes
Kid-Friendly: Yes - we met a group of schoolchildren from Aberdeen at the top!
Cairngorms National Park is lush, green, and beautiful, and not as crowded as some of the more popular hiking destinations in the United Kingdom. We chose Meall a’ Bhuachaille because of its moderate length and ascent, and because it had plenty of trees with a great view.
The hike starts in the trees, then you emerge to start your climb. Take time to stop and look back at the gorgeous views of the surrounding peaks and lakes - in Scotland, you never know when the fog will enshroud you. As we ascended, the fog rolled in and then the rain started. We viewed the cairn at the top, then found our way across the scree to the hiking trail that descends the other side of the mountain. At the bottom, we stopped at a bothy (tiny cabin that offers shelter in the wilderness) to have water and snacks. We then made our way through the valley floor before starting the ascent through a beautiful coniferous forest back to the visitors center.
This is a gorgeous and challenging hike, and we loved it!
Website: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/meallabhuachaille.shtml
Know Before You Go: Weather in Scotland changes in an instant. We hiked in sunny weather, experienced rain and strong winds halfway up, then viewed the cairn at the top in fog. The weather cleared on our hike down the opposite side of the mountain. Also, when we got to the bottom on the west side, instead of taking the trail by the creek we elected to take a spur to the right that was difficult, minimally maintained, but shorter and gorgeous. Take cash to pay the parking meter in case the credit card machine is broken.
Length: 5.25 miles
Time: 3.5 - 4.5 hours
Difficulty: Difficult
Terrain: Rock, scree, dirt/grass.
Dog-Friendly: Yes
Kid-Friendly: Yes - we met a group of schoolchildren from Aberdeen at the top!
Cairngorms National Park is lush, green, and beautiful, and not as crowded as some of the more popular hiking destinations in the United Kingdom. We chose Meall a’ Bhuachaille because of its moderate length and ascent, and because it had plenty of trees with a great view.
The hike starts in the trees, then you emerge to start your climb. Take time to stop and look back at the gorgeous views of the surrounding peaks and lakes - in Scotland, you never know when the fog will enshroud you. As we ascended, the fog rolled in and then the rain started. We viewed the cairn at the top, then found our way across the scree to the hiking trail that descends the other side of the mountain. At the bottom, we stopped at a bothy (tiny cabin that offers shelter in the wilderness) to have water and snacks. We then made our way through the valley floor before starting the ascent through a beautiful coniferous forest back to the visitors center.
This is a gorgeous and challenging hike, and we loved it!
