Morrone

About Morrone

Rising directly from the streets of Braemar, this substantial Corbett offers one of the best effort-to-reward ratios in the Cairngorms. While the summit radio mast is a functional landmark, the real draw is the panoramic view across the Dee Valley to the high, snow-flecked plateaus of Ben Macdui and Beinn a' Bhùird.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is a corruption of the Gaelic Mòr Bheinn, meaning 'Big Hill'. In the local Deeside dialect, it evolved into Morrone to distinguish it from the other prominent peaks named Morven found elsewhere in Scotland.
• •The northern slopes are home to the Morrone Birkwood, a rare example of a high-altitude downy birch wood. This Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) contains an unusual mix of juniper and dwarf birch that survives here due to the lime-rich soil.
• •The hill is the setting for the Morrone Hill Race, a key event of the annual Braemar Gathering. Traditionally, the race starts from the games park and follows a lung-bursting line straight to the summit cairn and back.
• •The summit offers one of the most instructive views in the Highlands for understanding local geography. You can look directly into the mouth of the Lairig Ghru pass and trace the entire southern skyline of the high Cairngorm plateaus, including Lochnagar to the southeast.
• •The presence of a maintained vehicle access track to the summit mast means you might occasionally find your hard-earned mountain solitude interrupted by a technician in a 4x4.