Coire Breac Top

About Coire Breac Top

Tucked away in the Mounth, this Graham Top overlooks the 'speckled corrie' of its namesake. It’s ideal for hikers who find nearby Mount Keen far too 'popular' and prefer summits where the only local resident likely to greet you is a bewildered red deer.

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Did You Know?

• •The name translates from Gaelic as the 'speckled corrie', which refers to the mottled aesthetic of rock and moss clinging to its slopes. This visual patchwork is best appreciated from a distance before you actually have to trudge through it.
• •The fell is situated near the ancient Mounth roads, historic tracks that were once the primary north-south arteries for everyone from medieval kings to whiskey smugglers. These high-level passes provided a treacherous but direct route through the heart of the Grampian Mountains.
• •Its granite foundation is part of the same massive geological intrusion that formed the Cairngorms, making it a very distant, shorter cousin to the giants across the river Dee. It shares their rugged character but fortunately lacks their tendency to attract massive weekend crowds.
• •Despite its respectable height, the surrounding plateau is so vast that you might spend more time wondering if you’re actually ascending or just walking across a very large, tilted pancake. It is the kind of terrain that makes your GPS look like it is reconsidering its life choices.
• •Identifying the actual summit involves a fair amount of philosophical guesswork amongst the heather; usually, it's whichever peat hag looks the most dignified. You’ll eventually just plant a trekking pole in the mud and hope the mountain doesn't take personal offense.