Beinn Cichean
(Lochnagar)
Lord Byron wrote and The Corries sang :
.... and who could deny it. Lochnagar is one of Scotland's grandest and most famous mountains. The mountain has royal connections too - In 1848 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert decided to have a royal estate on Deeside, and took lease of Balmoral Castle. A new residence was built by 1859, and over the next few years the Prince enjoyed many sporting activities and together they ascended lots of nearby mountains including Lochnagar. More recently Prince Charles wrote the book, 'The Old Man of Lochnagar', having gained inspiration from mountain.
The Steep Frowning Glories of Dark Lochnagar.
The magnificent north-eastern corrie, with its fine cirque of buttresses and gullies enclosing the dark loch which has given the mountain it's present name, has long been an attraction of Aberdeen climbers, Tom Patey being one who learned his craft on the crags. These crags are composed of granite and do require a good bold style in order to over come difficulties. Amongst the classic climbs here are Eagle Ridge (250m Severe) which was first climbed in 1936 although this was not the direct route. It was not until 1941 that the direct route fell when J.H.B. Bell and Miss Nancy Forsyth climbed the ridge in full, the story of which is described in Bell's classic book, A progress in mountaineering (later republished in part as Bells Scottish Climbs).
The names on the mountain always stirs up debate, with Cac Carn Beag being the name of the actual summit, this roughly translates as Little Shit Cairn, although some polite versions do also exist. The name Lochnagar as I have already said is derived from the loch in the corrie. Earlier maps have indicated the presence of Beinn Cichean meaning mountain of breast's (again !! see Sgurr na Ciche). Despite all these different names one thing that most people agree with is the variety of routes that can be used to reach the summit. Deeside approaches are long and wilder and generally quieter, as are routes from the west from Glen Callater. The most popular ascents are made from the Spittal of Glen Muick and that is where our route recommended route starts from, although with a slight difference from the norm, because we visit the corrie as well as the summit.
Distance : 13 miles
Total Ascent : 4000ft
Time : 7 hrs
Route Grading : An excellent tramp up the highest summit of the Mounth with excellent views of Deeside, Cairngorms and The Mounth. In winter the paths will be obliterated by snow. Large cornices also form around the rim of the corrie, so care should be taken on final approaches to the summit.
Accommodation : Youth Hostel at Braemar and Ballater and Glen Doll. Climbing Huts - Allt na Guibhsaich, Spittal of Glen Muick (Aberdeen Uni).
| Gaelic Name | Translation | Height (ft) | Height (m) | Status | |
| Cuidhe Crom | Crooked Wreath (Snow) | 3552ft | 1083m | Top |
| Cac Carn Beag | Little Shit Cairn | 3789ft | 1155m | Munro |
| Cioch Mor | Large Breast | 3211ft | 980m | Top |
| Publisher | Scale | Title / No | |
| Ordnance Survey | 1:50000 | Sheets 43 & 44 |
| Bartholomew's | 1:100000 | Sheets 51 & 52 |
Sketch Diagram showing route © Cameron Johnston 1997
Our starting point for this outing is at the Spittal of Glenmuick, which is reached from Ballater in Deeside by taking the B976 and then following the minor road to the Spittal. We start by taking the private road that crosses the River Muick and heads towards Allt na-guisaich Lodge, from here we take a path through the pine trees and continue up the track to where the Gelder Sheil path meets up with our track. The path now climbs up to the col below Meikle Pap, from here we gain our first glimpse of the corrie, loch and cliffs that the mountain is famed for. We now climb up a bouldery slope towards the plateau and our first top of Cuidhe Crom.
The walk round the rim of the cliffs is excellent and on a good day many stops will be made to peer down into the depths of the corrie. Snow wreaths and cornices remain till early summer and care should be exercised near the edge. The most spectacular part of the whole corrie rim has to be the Black Spout which produces a fine (Grade I) climb in winter, backing this gully is the famous Black Spout Pinnacle which juts out high above the corrie. A short walk from here leads to Cac Carn Mor which sports a cairn, many people assume this is the summit, but a short walk northwards leads to Cac Carn Beag. Here at the true summit our panoramic view is enhanced with a view finder that names the surrounding hills.
Take timeout to enjoy the sights.
There are many ways to descend and one of the most beautiful is to head SE following the Glas Allt path which follows a spectacular waterfall in it's lower half. This path leads down to Loch Muick and various tracks on either side lead back to the Spittal of Glen Muick. For the more adventurous I have an alternative that takes us north towards the top Meall Coire na Saobhaidhe, at the bealach between the tops drop down the steep bouldery slopes into the corrie. Now we can truly appreciate the real splendor of the mountain above, and no doubt figures will be seen climbing on the crags above. The base of the corrie is covered in huge boulders and much fun can be had by hopping and jumping our way towards the loch. A bouldery clamber leads us up to Meilke Pap on the eastern side of the corrie and a final look back at the steep frowning glories of dark Lochnagar. Our descent is made by dropping down towards the track used earlier in the day to work our way back to the Spittal of Glen Muick.
This page last updated 28th May 2002 - © Cameron Johnston 2002