Beinn Mheadhoin

Beinn Mheadhoin, at 1,182 metres, lies at the remote heart of the Cairngorms, its broad, flat summit plateau strewn with spectacular granite tors left behind by retreating ice sheets at the end of the last ice age — one of the most distinctive summits in the whole range.

The standard route starts from the Cairngorm Mountain car park, heading between the base station and cafe before taking the Bike Park path and climbing towards Cairn Gorm's shoulder. The route descends into the bowl of Coire Raibert, following a path that becomes steep and rocky alongside a cascading stream down to the dramatic Loch Avon basin — one of Britain's wildest and most awe-inspiring places, ringed by a circle of great cliffs forming the finest climbing ground in the Cairngorms. A descending traverse crosses to the head of the loch, passing the Shelter Stone, a massive boulder that has offered refuge to climbers for centuries. From here the route climbs steeply beside the Allt nan Stacan Dubha, easing as Loch Etchachan comes into view, before a final ascent north-east reaches the tor-studded plateau. The first tors, known as the Barns, overlook Loch Avon; continuing across sandy, almost desert-like terrain leads to the largest tor towards the north-eastern end, the true summit, reached via a short, reasonably easy scramble around its far side.

Return is normally by the same route, requiring a full reascent back over the shoulder of Cairn Gorm — a genuinely tiring end to a long day given how much height has already been lost and regained.

The round trip is around 19.5-20 kilometres with roughly 1,400-1,490 metres of ascent, typically eight to ten hours.

This is a testing, remote mountain walk lacking clear paths in places and far from help — a good deal of experience is necessary, particularly given the steep descent to Loch Avon and the bouldery summit terrain. In winter this becomes a much more serious undertaking, and full mountaineering skills and equipment are essential.

The Cairngorm Mountain car park is chargeable; a bus runs from Aviemore to Cairngorm Mountain.