Braeriach

About Braeriach

Dominating the western side of the Lairig Ghru, Britain's third-highest mountain is a sprawling giant of granite and ice-scoured corries. The vast plateau feels Arctic in its isolation, leading to the dramatic lip of An Garbh Choire and the legendary Wells of Dee, the highest source of any major UK river.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Scottish Gaelic Bràigh Riabhach, which translates as the 'brindled upland'. This likely refers to the mottled appearance of the mountain's granite scree interspersed with persistent snow patches and high-altitude vegetation.
• •Near the summit plateau lie the Wells of Dee, a series of spring-fed pools that form the source of the River Dee. At roughly 1,220 metres above sea level, this is the highest source of any major river system in the British Isles.
• •The deep north-east facing corrie of Garbh Choire Mòr holds a snow patch known as 'The Sphinx'. This is historically the most long-lasting snow in Britain, having melted completely only a handful of times in the last century.
• •Reaching the summit cairn rewards walkers with a staggering perspective across the deep trench of the Lairig Ghru to the cliffs of Ben Macdui and the remote Sgor an Lochain Uaine, illustrating the true scale of the Cairngorm plateau.
• •The high, stony plateau provides a crucial habitat for specialized mountain birds like the dotterel and the ptarmigan, the latter of which relies on its white winter plumage to blend into the snowfields that linger here well into June.
• •The approach from Coylumbridge is so substantial that by the time you actually begin the ascent of the mountain itself, you may find yourself checking your calendar rather than your watch to see if you'll be home for dinner.