Scotland
Derry Cairngorm
1156M
3792FT
About Derry Cairngorm
This sprawling granite Munro offers some of the finest vantage points in the central Cairngorms. Characterised by extensive boulder fields and a broad, stony ridge, it rewards the long approach from Linn of Dee with an exceptional perspective over the deep trough of Loch Etchachan and the cliffs of Beinn Macdui.
Key Statistics
Rank
24th Highest in The Cairngorms
Parent Range
The Cairngorms
Prominence
?
142m
Nearest Town
Braemar
Geology
You are walking on speckled granite containing large, distinct crystals. This rock formed deep underground as a massive pool of slowly cooling molten magma.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NO017980
Latitude
57.0625°N
Longitude
3.6226°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Gaelic 'Doire', meaning a grove or thicket. While the summit is a high-altitude wilderness, the name refers to the ancient Caledonian pines of Derry Woods that line the approach from the south.
- •Positioned centrally in the massif, the summit provides a clear perspective of the 4,000ft peaks across the Lairig Ghru, including the vast eastern corries of Braeriach and Sgor an Lochain Uaine.
- •The hill is frequently climbed as part of a high-level circuit with Beinn Macdui, connected by the high col at the head of Coire Etchachan, allowing walkers to stay above 900 metres for several miles.
- •The upper slopes are covered in extensive granite boulder fields, known as felsenmeer. These large, weather-beaten blocks require careful footwork but are generally stable, having been settled since the last ice age.
- •Despite being the 15th highest mountain in the UK, it is often treated as a secondary peak to its taller neighbours, meaning the summit cairn is frequently a much quieter spot than the busy plateau of Beinn Macdui.