Ben Macdui Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ben Macdui
Beinn Mac Duibh

Highest point
Elevation	1,309 m (4,295 ft)
Prominence	950 m (3,120 ft) Ranked 9th in British Isles
Isolation	86.5 km (53.8 miles)
Parent peak	Ben Nevis
Listing	Marilyn, Munro, Hardy, Council top (Aberdeenshire, Moray), County top (Aberdeenshire, Banffshire)
Naming
English translation	Mountain of the son of Duff/MacDuff or possibly The Hill of the Black Pig (a reference to its shape)
Language of name	Gaelic
Geography
Location	Moray / Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Parent range	Cairngorms
OS grid	NN989989
Topo map	OS Landranger 36, 43, Explorer OL57
Climbing
Normal route	Saddle at Loch Ericht (359 metres or 1,178 feet)

Ben Macdui (which means Mac Duff's Hill in Gaelic) is a very tall mountain in Scotland. It is the second highest mountain in all of the British Isles, right after Ben Nevis. Ben Macdui is also the highest mountain in the Cairngorm Mountains and the wider Cairngorms National Park.

The top of Ben Macdui is 1,309 metres (4,295 feet) above sea level. It sits on the edge of the Cairngorm plateau. The mountain is located where the areas of Aberdeenshire and Moray meet.

For a long time, people weren't sure if Ben Macdui or Ben Nevis was the tallest mountain in Britain. But after careful surveys in 1846–47, it was confirmed that Ben Nevis was indeed higher. There were even ideas to build a pile of stones (called a cairn) on Ben Macdui's top to make it taller than Ben Nevis, but this never happened.

At the very top of the mountain, there's a special pointer. It was put there in 1925 by the Cairngorm Club. This pointer shows you the directions to other important mountains you can see on a clear day. Sometimes, patches of snow can stay on Ben Macdui all year round, especially in a spot called Garbh Uisge Beag.

History of Ben Macdui
Climbing Ben Macdui
- Popular Routes
- Long Hikes
Am Fear Liath Mòr (The Greyman)
Gallery
See also

History of Ben Macdui

How Ben Macdui Got Its Name

After a battle in 1187, a person named Donnchad II got control of an area called Strathavon. This land stretched all the way to Ben Macdui. Some historians think the mountain got its name from Donnchad's family, the Mac Duibh. However, the name might also come from the Gaelic words for "black pig" (muc dhubh).

Early Surveys and Queen Victoria's Visit

In 1810, a man named Rev Dr Keith used a special tool called a barometer to guess the height of Ben Macdui. He thought it was about 4,300 feet (1,310 metres) tall. This made people wonder if it was taller than Ben Nevis.

To find out for sure, the Ordnance Survey (a group that makes maps) built a special marker on the summit in 1847. This helped them measure the height very accurately. They confirmed that Ben Nevis was indeed the taller mountain. The surveyors also built a small shelter, which people called the "Sappers' Bothy." You could still see parts of it in 1998.

A famous visitor to Ben Macdui was Queen Victoria. She hiked to the top on October 7, 1859, when she was 40 years old. She wrote about her trip, saying it felt "sublime and solemn." She described it as "so wild, so solitary," with only her group there. She even had a little whisky and water because people said plain water would be too cold!

World War II Training

During the Second World War, special commando soldiers trained in the Cairngorms. They visited the top of Ben Macdui and even built small shelters there. In 1940, a plane crashed near the summit.

Climbing Ben Macdui

Popular Routes

The easiest way to climb Ben Macdui usually starts from the Coire Cas car park. This car park is at the bottom of the Cairngorm Ski Centre. From there, a path goes up across the moorland. This route is about 7 kilometres (4 miles) long. If you want a longer hike, you can also climb Cairn Gorm on the same trip.

Another way to reach the top is by following a path from Loch Etchachan. You can get to this loch from Loch Avon to the north or from Glen Derry to the south. Other paths include going over Derry Cairngorm or through the Lairig Ghru pass, which is west of Ben Macdui.

Long Hikes

Most of these routes are considered long hikes for Scotland. If you are coming from the south, many people use a bicycle. They cycle about 5 kilometres (3.5 miles) from the road end at Linn of Dee to Derry Lodge. This helps them cover the first part of the journey faster.

Am Fear Liath Mòr (The Greyman)

The area around Ben Macdui is known for a spooky legend. People say it's haunted by a creature called Am Fear Liath Mòr, or the Greyman. There have been stories from climbers who felt a strange presence. One famous mountaineer, Norman Collie, even said he heard footsteps. He claimed he was so scared that he ran away from the summit!