Beinn Mheadhoin or Beinn Meadhain
() is a
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...
in the
Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. It is a
Munro
A Munro () is defined as a mountain in Scotland with a height over , and which is on the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) official list of Munros; there is no explicit topographical prominence requirement. The best known Munro is Ben Nev ...
with a height of and by
some counts it is the twelfth-highest mountain of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. It lies in the very heart of the
Cairngorm mountains, and is one of the most remote in the region. Beinn Mheadoin is surrounded by deep
glens and mountain lakes, including
Loch A'an
Loch A'an is a remote freshwater loch set deep within the central Cairngorms plateau, in the Cairngorms National Park, located in the eastern Highlands of Scotland. Loch A'an, also called Loch Avon, is the source of the River Avon. Loch A'an ...
,
Loch Etchachan and the Dubh Lochan.
The summit is broad and flat. It is noted for its summit
tors - large
boulders left by retreating ice sheets at the end of the last
ice age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...
. The highest point is, in fact, the top of one of the largest tors, and a
scramble
Scramble, Scrambled, or Scrambling may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* ''Scramble'' (video game), a 1981 arcade game
Music Albums
* ''Scramble'' (album), an album by Atlanta-based band the Coathangers
* ''Scrambles'' (album)
...
is required to reach it.
Climbing
The mountain is remote; the shortest route is to climb over the main Cairn Gorm
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...
in order to ascend Beinn Mheadhoin. The shortest route of ascent is from the Coire Cas car park at the foot of the
Cairn Gorm
Cairn Gorm ( gd, An Càrn Gorm) is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. It is part of the Cairngorms range and wider Grampian Mountains. With a summit elevation of above sea level, Cairn Gorm is classed as a Munro and is the seventh-h ...
ski
A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partia ...
area, initially heading for the ridge of Fiacaill a' Choire Chais. From the head of the ridge, the walker then descends to
Loch Avon
Loch A'an is a remote freshwater loch set deep within the central Cairngorms plateau, in the Cairngorms National Park, located in the eastern Highlands of Scotland. Loch A'an, also called Loch Avon, is the source of the River Avon. Loch A'an ...
via
Coire Raibert. The route then goes round the head of the loch, passing the famous
Shelter Stone, before rising again to reach Loch Etchachan. From here the route heads northeast onto the summit ridge. This route is about in length, with of ascent required.
Beinn Mheadhoin may also be climbed from the south, via Glen Derry. This route is much longer, though a
bicycle can be used on the track to shorten the time taken. An ascent from this direction could conceivably be combined with an ascent of
Derry Cairngorm.
See also
*
List of Munro mountains
This is a list of Munro mountains and Munro Tops in Scotland by height. Munros are defined as Scottish mountains over in height, and which are on the Scottish Mountaineering Club ("SMC") official list of Munros. In addition, the SMC define Mu ...
*
Mountains and hills of Scotland
Scotland is the most mountainous country in the United Kingdom. Scotland's mountain ranges can be divided in a roughly north to south direction into: the Scottish Highlands, the Central Belt and the Southern Uplands, the latter two primarily belo ...
References
{{Authority control
Munros
Marilyns of Scotland
Mountains and hills of the Cairngorms
Mountains and hills of Moray
One-thousanders of the British Isles