Ben Macdui [Beinn Macduibh]

About Ben Macdui [Beinn Macduibh]

Britain’s second-highest mountain occupies the heart of a vast, boulder-strewn plateau. It offers a true Arctic-tundra experience, far removed from the sharp peaks of the west. Reaching the summit requires navigating through the wilderness of the Cairngorm high ground, rewarding walkers with immense views across the deep cleft of the Lairig Ghru.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is Gaelic for 'Mountain of the Son of Duff.' This likely refers to the MacDuff family, the Earls of Fife, who historically held the lands on the southern side of the mountain.
• •The mountain is the site of one of Scotland’s most enduring legends: Am Fear Liath Mòr, or the Big Grey Man of Ben Macdui. In 1891, the respected mountaineer Professor Norman Collie famously reported being stalked by a presence through the mist, a story that has chilled climbers for over a century.
• •For decades, there was a genuine dispute over whether Ben Macdui or Ben Nevis was the highest point in Britain. It wasn't until a precise Ordnance Survey in 1847 that the height difference was finally confirmed, placing Ben Macdui as the runner-up.
• •Queen Victoria reached the summit in October 1859. She made the ascent from her estate at Balmoral, riding a pony for the majority of the journey before walking the final stretch to the cairn.
• •The view from the summit is a masterclass in scale, looking directly across the Lairig Ghru pass to the massive granite walls of Braeriach and the distinctive pointed peak of Cairn Toul.
• •The summit plateau is so vast and featureless that in a heavy mist, the only way to be certain you are actually at the top is to wait for the wind to start hitting you from a different direction.