Beinn a' Bhuird Route Information

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Beinn a' Bhuird

Quick Facts

This is the summed total of all the climbing within a route and is a good indicator of the strenuousness of a route.

Total Ascent

1460 m

An estimate of the time taken based on a derivation of Naismiths rules. Our calculation is based on the horizontal and ascent components of a climb, we do not make a reduction for descent.

Registered users can customise these walking times by specifying their own walking and ascending speeds. They can also add a fixed time period for stoppages.

Route Time

9.5 hrs

The horizontal distance of the route.

Route Distance

34.67 km

The UK is covered by 204 Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 scale maps. Maps numbered 1 to 86 cover Scotland but for the highest mountains (Munros) only 23 maps are required. The name given roughly describes the area covered by the map.

You can click on the map name to purchase the map for £6.29 including postage which is one of the cheapest prices we have found.

OS Landranger Maps Required

36	Grantown & Aviemore, Cairngorm Mountains
43	Braemar & Blair Atholl

Only £6.29 (£13.49 Laminated) from

A brief summary of this route.

Our summary will always contain one of easy, moderate or hard to indicate the severity of the route.

Notes

A long route on moderately steep slopes leading to a high level plateau walk. There are deep corries to the east of the summit plateau, therefore, careful navigation required particularly in poor visibility.

Here we provide the nearest town to the start of the route where you will find basic services.

We then give directions from that location to the route start. Your approach route may differ.

Travel Information

Head to: Braemar

From Braemar travel E on A93 to Invercauld bridge (5 km) then N on minor road to Keiloch..

Route Waypoint Map

The total ascent is 1,460 metres. Allow 9.5 hours to complete this 34.67 km route.

The hillphones service can inform you of stalking activities in the area.

Usually the shortest way to climb the mountain, making best use of tracks and paths to gain altitude. Route navigation requires map reading skills and an ability to navigate with a compass.

The information given here will enable you to annotate your map and plan your route. We do not give anecdotal descriptions on where to find the paths, worn by the feet of previous mountaineers.

Where the access routes are few or the ridge is narrow, paths are generally obvious. On open ground, following paths without using your compass may get you lost in poor visibility.

Route Information

Waypoint Detail

	Start at branch of A93 and minor road to Keiloch and Invercauld House
		NO18809104	Distance	Altitude 328 m

1	Walk/cycle NW to branch in track beyond Alltdourie
		NO16009332	Distance 3.97 km	Altitude 365 m

2	Do not cross river, and continue NW on track/path to ruin of Slugain Lodge
		NO12019526	Distance 4.82 km	Altitude 600 m

3	Continue NW turning N to branch in path
		NO11619594	Distance 0.94 km	Altitude 582 m

4	Head W to cross Quoich Water and follow path onto Carn Fiaclach
		NO10169708	Distance 2.73 km	Altitude 790 m

5	Ascend NNW on ridge, turning W to reach the South Top
		NO09019790	Distance 1.53 km	Altitude 1177 m

6	Head N to A' Choich and follow corrie rim N
		NO08809927	Distance 1.60 km	Altitude 1109 m

7	Continue NNE to the North Top = Summit of Beinn a' Bhuird
		NJ09260059	Distance 1.40 km	Altitude 1197 m

8	Bear E on plateau to Cnap a' Chlerich
		NJ10850041	Distance 1.65 km	Altitude 1123 m

9	Descend ESE to join path by Glas Allt Mor
		NO11639987	Distance 0.97 km	Altitude 825 m

10	Bear SW on path to Junction
		NO11299903	Distance 0.95 km	Altitude 708 m

11	Bear SW on path to Junction
		NO11669670	Distance 3.53 km	Altitude 615 m

12	Continue S to rejoin approach path and return
		NO18809104	Distance 10.57 km	Altitude 328 m

A selection of weather forecasts local to this route.

Weather

Cairngorms * Monadhliath
by MWIS (PDF format)

East Highlands
by Met Office

Beinn Mheadhoin
by Metcheck

Images of Beinn a' Bhuird

On the flat north top of Beinn a Bhuird, looking west to the main Cairngorm massif. Ben Macdui is the central, white dome. May 18th 2005.

Image by Paul Richardson

The vast corrie of Slochd Mor, NE side of Beinn a Bhuird, from near The Sneck. May 18th 2005.

Image by Paul Richardson

Early morning ascent of upper Glen Quoich, after a wild camp on a freezing night in mid May. The lonely glen is flanked by Coire na Ciche of Beinn a Bhuird, with the prominent tower of A' Cioch dominating the scene.

Image by Paul Richardson

Beinn a Bhuird seen from the summit of Ben Avon. The Sneck (the col between the two hills) is rendered invisible by the terrain, so the two plateaux seem to merge, with the massive bite of Slochd Mor giving scale to the scene. May 2005.

Image by Paul Richardson

Route Area Map

Legend

Munro

Corbett

Graham

English/Welsh Top

Accommodation

A selection of local accommodation options who advertise with Munromagic.com.

Where to Stay

We currently have no
sponsored accommodation listings for this area.

Rating & Reviews

Rating & Reviews

Rated:

from 4 votes

Click Stars to Vote
Your Rating

Written by Peter Lang on 09 Jul 2007:

2nd time visiting this hill. Excellent cycle in 1hr to ruin, sun shining (better than forecast). Good track to quoich water - poles required to keep feet dry - would be tricky in spate. easy to miss where path leaves main track heading to Carn fiaclach - improves once arrive around shoulder and good gradient/surface to plateau. Great lunch spots on corrie overlooking ben avon - Beinn a'Bhuird summit disappointing cairn on flat plateau when some interesting tors around. Easy descent to sneck at 970m and quick trip over to ben avon. Whole day took 10 hrs at easy pace with plenty stops.

Written by Chris Bowles on 18 May 2007:

Climbed this hill with its neighbour Ben Avon, the whole route was near enough 8 hours with the handy help of a bike starting at Keiloch. The summit plateau is rather featureless but the hill hosts some fine corries. Its quite a gentle climb from Ben Avon to the west, and an easy descent can be made back to the path in Gleann an t-Slugain by dropping down easy slopes immediately east of the south top.

Written by Paul Richardson on 24 May 2005:

Did essentially the same route, though having camped wild in Glen Quoich, we took in Ben Avon as well, and did the Bhuird route in reverse. No difficulties on a fine day, but I'd hate to be on the Bhuird plateau in thick mist or high winds. It's as featureless place as you could imagine, with savage drops into the E facing corries which were corniced in mid May 05. Quoich Water crossing could be tricky in spate. In the right conditions though, an amazing experience to be in such wild country.

Written by Scott Niven on 20 Sep 2004:

Took a different route up from Linn O'Quoich, following the Quoich up to the south-western flank of Beinn a'Bhuird. Followed the bulldozed track up the hill with a fairly easy but long climb onto the top near A'Chioch. Great views West over the Cairngorm NP, good path to follow, and great cliffs to look down on from the top. Not the most exciting route up, but definitely a good day out. I biked in to the foot of the hill, which probably saved me 2 hours at least as I took around 4.5 hours to complete this route - though I did jog some of the downhill leg. Get it on your "to-do" list!!!

Disclaimer. The details provided above are an aid to planning an expedition, but all distances, altitudes and bearings must be considered approximate. You must navigate with the appropriate map, a compass, your navigation skills and common sense, MunroMagic.com accept no responsibility for your interpretation of our route information.

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