Ben Macdui summit – View of Cairn Lochan loop from Lairig Ghru

Hiking trails & Routes

Ben Macdui summit – View of Cairn Lochan loop from Lairig Ghru

Hard

5.0

(3)

hikers

Ben Macdui summit – View of Cairn Lochan loop from Lairig Ghru

06:13

15.4km

810m

Hiking

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

Last updated: July 31, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Cairngorms National Park

Waypoints

Start point

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591 m

View of the Lairig Ghru Pass

Highlight • Mountain Pass

Enjoy the views across the famous Lairig Ghru (hill pass) to your West. This old traveller's route connects the towns of Braemar and Aviemore, and is 43km long. It also contains the source of the River Dee. Across the other side of the valley is where the high peaks of Braeriach and Càirn Toul lie.

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3.69 km

Ben Macdui summit

Highlight • Summit

Small stone pyramids show the way on the ascent.
In good weather / clear visibility you have a great view. In bad weather (sudden weather change) you can quickly lose your orientation (map / compass / GPS)

Translated by Google •

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9.24 km

Loch Avon Beach

Highlight • Natural

Loch Avon feels remarkably wild, depsite being relatively accessible from the Cairngorm Mountain ski station. However, it's a glorious place to wild camp. The nearby Shelter Stone is a popular spot for a bivvy, while this beach on the waterside is just as enticing.

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11.5 km

View of Cairn Gorm

Highlight • Summit

The route between Coire an t-Sneachda and Cairngorm summit is on good footpaths, and here you can get some of the highest views in Britain. The views out in all directions from this high artic plateau at any time of year are breathtakingly beautiful and extremely rugged. If you are here on a good day doing a round of the Northern Corries, then you are an extremely lucky person!

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11.9 km

View of the Cliffs, Cairngorms National Park

Highlight • Natural Monument

a beautiful view over the cliffs

Translated by Google •

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12.5 km

Stob Coire an t-Sneachda Summit

Highlight • Viewpoint

Along with neighbouring Corie an Lochain, Corie an t-Sneachda is one of the famous Northern Corries. It is known for its gloriously accessibility from the car park at the Cairngorm Mountain ski station. It holds snow for much of the year and is immensely popular with winter climbers.

It is separated from Corie an Lochain by an enticing ridgeline. This is the Fiacaill Ridge, an exciting grade II scramble for hikers.

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13.7 km

View of Cairn Lochan

Highlight • Natural Monument

fairly straight forward walk with some nice elevation and brilliant views on a clear day ... Best experienced in winter conditions

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13.9 km

Cairn Lochan

Highlight • Summit

Cairn Lochan at 3,990 feet (1,216 m) is the 15th highest peak in Scotland and the 15th highest in the British Isles. It is not noted for being a striking-looking mountain, as it forms part of the Northern Corries group and is a part of the Cairngorm massive as a whole. To hike Lochan as one part of that massive, however, is a superb day out. A popular way to walk Cairn Lochan is to walk this as part of the classic circular Cairngorm and the Northern Corries route starting from the Ski Centre car park. If you intend to do this route in winter, make sure you have a clear day for it and you are suitably equipped. It will be worth it for your safety and the views.

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15.4 km

End point

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

10.5 km

4.25 km

657 m

Surfaces

10.5 km

3.52 km

725 m