Bynack More (

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...

: A' Bheithneag Mhòr or Beinn Bheithneag) is a Scottish Mountain that is situated in the

Cairngorms The Cairngorms ( gd, Am Monadh Ruadh) are a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland closely associated with the mountain Cairn Gorm. The Cairngorms became part of Scotland's second national park (the Cairngorms National Park) on 1 S ...

range, 16 kilometres east-south-east of the town of

Aviemore Aviemore (; gd, An Aghaidh Mhòr ) is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is po ...

in the

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

region.

Overview

Bynack More 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 ...

and a Marilyn which reaches a height of 1090 metres (3576 feet) and stands slightly detached from the other peaks of the range in the north eastern corner. Because of this it tends to be ascended in a single mountain trip. It is typical of many of the Cairngorm mountains in that it is crowned by a large

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 ...

; however, it does look conical when viewed from some angles. The plateau has huge

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...

tors dotted across it, known as the Barns of Bynack. The translation of the mountain's name from the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

is unclear - some books give it as a “kerchief or a cap” from the Gaelic ''beannag'', others give it as “big little mountain” from ''beinneag'' while other sources suggest "chimney pot" from ''binneag'', referring to the tors on the summit. In the past Bynack More has been known as Ben Bynack and Caiplich, named after the Water of Caiplich which rises on the mountains eastern slopes and flows into the Avon and then the Spey.

Geography

Bynack More is an elongated hill which is orientated north to south, the eastern slopes are steep and rocky as they drop 300 metres vertically to the headwaters of the Water of Caiplich. The hill has two subsidiary tops. Bynack Beag (964 metres) lies a kilometre to the north west and can be easily climbed when approaching the mountain from the north; Bynack More and Bynack Beag are twins and look impressive from the north above Strath Nethy. The other top is A’Choinneach (Boggy Hill) which, at 1017 metres, used to be a Munro but was demoted in the 1981 tables reorganisation. This lies 1.5 kilometres south west and is an easy climb with an ascent of less than 80 metres. Bynack More can be climbed along with the nearby

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 ...

. The two are joined by a high col to the south west called The Saddle (807 metres). However, it is the impressive granite formation known as the Barns of Bynack that is the highlight of the plateau; they lie 500 metres south of the summit and the highest ones are roughly six metres high.

Ascents

The most popular ascent of Bynack More starts from

Loch Morlich Loch Morlich (Scottish Gaelic, ''Loch Mhùrlaig'') is a freshwater loch in the Badenoch and Strathspey area of Highland, Scotland near Aviemore. The loch is home to a watersports centre with kayaking, sailing and windsurfing among the activities ...

at grid reference and follows a good path passing through the attractive Ryvoan Pass with the charming Lochan Uaine (green lochan). The path swings east crossing the River Nethy and then the northern ridge of Bynack More is ascended to the summit. It is also possible to start from the car park at the Cairn Gorm ski centre (grid reference ) and ascend Cairn Gorm first before carrying onto Bynack More via The Saddle, though this is quite a rough walk. The summit cairn is made up of granite boulders and provides a unique view of Cairn Gorm across the craggy flanks of Strath Nethy; the Ben Avon plateau is also well seen.

References

* The Munros: Donald Bennett: Scottish Mountaineering Trust: * 100 Best Route on Scottish Mountains: Ralph Storer: Warner Books: {{Coord, 57.13822, -3.584716, display=title Munros Marilyns of Scotland Mountains and hills of the Cairngorms Mountains and hills of Highland (council area) One-thousanders of the British Isles