Beinn a' Chaorainn Bheag

Tucked away in the remote heart of the Cairngorms, this 1016m Munro Top offers a quieter alternative to its parent peak. Rising above the head of Glen Derry, its broad, stony plateau provides a rugged vantage point overlooking the Lairig an Laoigh and the distinctive, tor-studded slopes of Beinn Mheadhoin.

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic 'Beinn a' Chaorainn', meaning 'mountain of the rowan tree', with 'bheag' meaning little. While rowans are now scarce at such high elevations, the name likely refers to trees that once grew on the more sheltered lower slopes.
• •Though it is classified as a Munro Top rather than a full Munro, its position at the edge of the high plateau offers a superior perspective down into the depths of Glen Derry compared to the main summit.
• •The summit provides a front-row seat to the dramatic 'Etchachan' side of the range, with clear views of the massive granite slabs of Shelter Stone Crag and the deep trough holding Loch Etchachan.
• •At exactly 3,333 feet, the hill possesses one of the most numerically satisfying imperial elevations in Scotland, even if the metric measurement of 1016m lacks the same rhythmic appeal.