Scotland
Cairn of Barns
649M
2130FT
About Cairn of Barns
Rising above the southern banks of the River Dee near Ballater, this rounded moorland summit offers a quiet vantage point within the eastern Mounth. Its heather-clad slopes provide a rugged, often pathless experience, rewarding walkers with clear, earned views across to the massive eastern corries of Lochnagar.
Key Statistics
Rank
136th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Lochaber
Prominence
?
97.1m
Nearest Town
Clova
Geology
You are walking over gritty sandstones and mudstones, layered with dark, hardened rocks that were once molten material deep underground.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NO320712
Latitude
56.8273°N
Longitude
3.1158°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely stems from the Scots word 'barns', possibly describing the shape of the summit or rocky features, combined with the Gaelic 'càrn', denoting a stony hill.
- •From the summit, walkers are treated to a specific perspective of the Muick valley and the broad, dark profile of Mount Keen sitting prominently to the southeast.
- •The hill sits within the Glen Muick estate, an area famously frequented by Queen Victoria, though she generally preferred the more dramatic heights of nearby Lochnagar.
- •Its status as a Tump ensures it remains a quiet objective, bypassed by those heading for the Munros but valued by hill-baggers seeking the solitude of the rolling plateau.
- •You may find the most challenging part of the ascent isn't the gradient, but navigating the deep, springy heather that seems designed specifically to hide peat hags from view.