Scotland
Cairn Lochan
1214M
3983FT
About Cairn Lochan
Perched on the rim of the great Cairngorm plateau, this high Munro Top is defined by the sheer granite precipices of Coire an Lochain. While the summit is a gentle, boulder-strewn expanse, the dramatic cliffs offer staggering views across the Lairig Ghru towards the massive, craggy eastern face of Braeriach.
Key Statistics
Rank
11th Highest in The Cairngorms
Parent Range
The Cairngorms
Prominence
?
91m
Nearest Town
Moray
Geology
The ground beneath your boots is solid granite, created when a vast pool of molten rock cooled and hardened deep within the earth.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NH985025
Latitude
57.1022°N
Longitude
3.6771°W
Did You Know?
- •The name translates from the Gaelic Càrn Lochan as the 'cairn of the little loch', referring to the small, cold pools nestled at the base of the cliffs in the corrie directly below the summit.
- •The northern face of the hill is one of Scotland’s premier winter climbing venues; its high-altitude granite buttresses host famous technical routes like 'Savage Slit' and 'The Vent' which often hold ice well into the spring.
- •From the summit edge, you gain a perfect profile view of the Lairig Ghru, the ancient mountain pass that carves a deep trench through the range, separating this plateau from the Monadh Mòr.
- •Despite being just shy of the official Munro height, it is frequently visited by walkers following the high-level transition between the Cairn Gorm ski area and Ben Macdui, the UK's second-highest mountain.
- •Due to its proximity to the Coire Cas car park, it is one of the few places in Britain where you can move from a ticket machine to a genuine Arctic-tundra environment in under an hour.