Meall a' Bhuachaille

About Meall a' Bhuachaille

Rising steeply above the ancient pines of Glenmore Forest, this accessible Corbett offers a premier vantage point in the Highlands. A well-constructed path leads to its sprawling, stony summit, providing a front-row seat to the massive northern corries of the Cairngorm plateau and the shimmering expanse of Loch Morlich below.

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Did You Know?

• •The name translates from Scottish Gaelic as 'Hill of the Shepherd'. It is so named because the hill stands slightly apart from the main Cairngorm massif, looking over the lower ground of Glenmore like a shepherd watching a flock.
• •Most walkers tackle the summit as part of a classic circular route from the Glenmore Visitor Centre, which passes the striking, emerald-coloured waters of An Lochan Uaine and the maintained mountain refuge of Ryvoan Bothy.
• •The summit offers a specific, unobstructed perspective of the Ryvoan Pass, looking across to the distinctive pink granite slopes of Bynack More and the vast, wooded wilderness of the Braes of Abernethy to the north.
• •The slopes are a frequent grazing ground for the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd. Introduced in 1952, these are the only free-ranging reindeer in Britain, and it is common to encounter them on the ascent or near the summit ridge.
• •During the Second World War, the surrounding Glenmore Forest and the slopes of this hill were used as a secret training ground for the Norwegian Independent Company 1 (Kompani Linge), who used the rugged terrain to prepare for sabotage missions in occupied Norway.
• •While it is nearly 400 metres lower than the neighbouring giants of the plateau, the Shepherd’s position makes it a notorious wind-tunnel; it is often the hill where walkers discover if their waterproof jacket is truly as 'windproof' as the label claimed.