Tom Buidhe

About Tom Buidhe

Standing as a rounded, unassuming dome on the vast Mounth plateau, this Munro is often visited alongside its neighbour, Tolmount. While the terrain can be infamously boggy, the high-altitude sprawl offers a true sense of isolation. From its broad summit, you gain clear views across the desolate Jock’s Road towards Lochnagar.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Gaelic 'Tom Buidhe', meaning 'Yellow Hill'. This likely refers to the distinctive colour of the withered grasses and mosses that cover its slopes during the autumn and winter months.
• •It is almost always climbed in conjunction with Tolmount, as the two are linked by a high, broad col at approximately 860 metres, though the ground between them is notoriously soft and peat-heavy even in dry weather.
• •The hill sits near the historic Jock’s Road, an ancient and arduous drovers' path that winds through the mountains to connect Braemar in Aberdeenshire with Glen Doll in Angus.
• •From the summit cairn, you are treated to a grand view of the White Mounth mountains to the north-east, specifically the sprawling mass of Lochnagar and the sharp profile of the Stuic.
• •Navigation on this plateau is notoriously difficult in poor visibility; with so few distinguishing features on its broad shoulders, many walkers have found themselves following a compass bearing only to discover they have inadvertently wandered onto the wrong side of the Glen Callater watershed.
• •It holds the dubious honour of being frequently cited by Munro-baggers as one of the least remarkable summits in the Highlands, providing a walk that is more about the vastness of the plateau than the drama of the peak itself.