Beinn Mheadhoin

Reaching the heart of the Cairngorm wilderness, this high Munro is famous for the giant granite tors that stud its broad summit plateau. To stand on the true highest point, you must scramble atop the largest of these weathered monoliths, looking down into the deep trough of Loch Etchachan and across to Ben Macdui.

• •The name is Scottish Gaelic for 'Middle Hill'. It is aptly named for its central position in the high Cairngorms, situated between the massive plateaus of Ben Macdui to the west and Beinn a' Bhuird to the east.
• •The summit is distinguished by its 'barns'—extraordinary granite tors formed by millennia of periglacial weathering. The largest of these is the summit tor itself; reaching the actual high point requires a short, easy scramble that makes it one of the few Munros where you genuinely need your hands.
• •From the southern edge of the plateau, the ground drops away into the corrie holding Loch Etchachan. At 927 metres above sea level, this is the highest significant body of water in the UK and frequently remains frozen well into the spring months.
• •The mountain offers one of the finest views of the Shelter Stone Crag and the deep, glacial trough of Loch Avon, a remote landscape that feels more like the High Arctic than the British Isles.
• •While most Munro summits are reached simply by walking, the final four metres of this one require a scramble up the summit tor; in a typical Cairngorm gale, this provides an excellent opportunity to test your friction and your nerves simultaneously.