Scotland
Stob Coire Etchachan
1082M
3550FT
About Stob Coire Etchachan
Standing high above the dark waters of Loch Etchachan, this rocky Munro Top occupies one of the most dramatic positions in the Cairngorms. Often visited on the approach to Ben Macdui from Derry Lodge, its summit provides a vertiginous look down the Great Carrs into the deep glacial trough of the Derry Burn.
Key Statistics
Rank
51st Highest in The Cairngorms
Parent Range
The Cairngorms
Prominence
?
27m
Nearest Town
Aberdeenshire
Geology
The ground beneath your boots is solid granite. It formed from a cooling pulse of molten rock deep underground, which created the massive Cairngorm Pluton.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NJ024005
Latitude
57.0851°N
Longitude
3.6120°W
Did You Know?
- •The name translates from Scottish Gaelic as the 'peak of the corrie of the little juniper'. It sits directly above Loch Etchachan, which, at 927 metres above sea level, is the highest body of water of its size in Great Britain.
- •While many walkers bypass the summit on the main path between Glen Derry and Ben Macdui, the short detour to the cairn is rewarded with a spectacular view across the water to the massive granite tors of Beinn Mheadhoin.
- •The cliffs of Coire Etchachan below the summit are a renowned venue for Scottish winter climbing, featuring formidable routes like 'Djibangi' and 'The Talon' on steep, jointed granite.
- •Looking south from the summit, you can spot the tiny Hutchison Memorial Hut sitting on the floor of the valley; it is one of the highest and most remote mountain shelters in the UK, rebuilt in the 1990s to provide a vital refuge in this exposed area.
- •It is one of the few places in the Cairngorms where you can experience genuine vertigo just a few hundred yards away from a plateau path that feels as broad and safe as a suburban driveway.