Cairn Gorm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cairn Gorm |
|
|---|---|
| An Càrn Gorm | |
Cairn Gorm from across Coire an t-Sneachda
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,084 feet (1,245 m) |
| Prominence | 478 ft (146 m) |
| Isolation | 2.78 miles (4.47 km) ( |
| Parent peak | Ben Macdui |
| Listing | Munro |
| Naming | |
| English translation | The Blue Cairn or The Green Cairn |
| Language of name | Scottish Gaelic |
| Geography | |
| Location | Cairngorms, Scotland |
| OS grid | NJ005040 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 36 |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Cairn Gorm is a famous mountain in the Scottish Highlands. It's part of the Cairngorms mountain range, which is a big group of mountains. Cairn Gorm stands at about 4,084 feet (1,245 meters) high. This makes it the seventh-tallest mountain in the British Isles.
From the nearby town of Aviemore, you can easily spot its wide, rounded top. Since the 1960s, parts of the mountain have been used for alpine skiing. There's even a special funicular railway to take skiers up the slopes!
Contents
What's in a Name?
Cairn Gorm shares its name with the larger Cairngorms mountain range and the Cairngorms National Park. Even though it's not the tallest mountain in the range, it's still very well-known.
The name "Cairn Gorm" comes from Scottish Gaelic. The word Gorm usually means "blue." But when it describes plants or nature, it can also mean "green" or "greening." So, "Cairn Gorm" can mean either Blue Cairn or Green Cairn.
Mountain Weather
Cairn Gorm has a very cold climate, similar to a tundra. This means it's cold all year round, even in summer. It has an automated weather station on its summit. This station helps scientists collect information about the temperature and wind.
Cairn Gorm is known for being the coldest weather station in the United Kingdom. It has about 194 days of frost each year! The highest temperature ever recorded there was 25.5°C (77.9°F) in May 1989. The coldest was a chilly -26.9°C (-16.4°F) in March 2007. Sometimes, a special wind called the Foehn wind can make it warmer, especially in autumn and winter.
Exploring the Mountain
Hiking and Climbing Adventures
If the weather is clear and calm, hiking up Cairn Gorm is quite easy. You can walk through the ski area on the northern side. However, when there's a storm, especially in winter with blizzards and high avalanche risks, climbing can be very dangerous. It's easy to get lost near the top because it's flat and doesn't have many landmarks.
In winter, you often need special gear like crampons (spikes for your boots) and ice-axes. Local guides often suggest a path called Windy Ridge for a direct route to the top. Another path goes up the middle of the ski area, but it's mainly for railway vehicles and isn't the best for walking.
Many guidebooks recommend walking along the cliff tops that look over the Northern Corries (bowl-shaped valleys) of Cairn Gorm. This offers some of the most amazing views in Scotland! Always check a map and visit the Ranger Base at the car park before you go.
For experienced climbers, there are many challenging climbing routes. In winter, these areas become popular for ice climbing.
The 1971 Disaster
In November 1971, a very sad event happened on the Cairn Gorm plateau. Five students and a trainee instructor lost their lives during a severe blizzard. This was the worst mountaineering disaster in the UK. It reminds everyone how important it is to be prepared and respect the power of the mountains, especially in bad weather.
Mountain Wildlife
Cairn Gorm is home to many interesting animals and plants.
- Birds: You might see dotterel and ring ouzel in spring and summer. All year round, you can spot snow bunting and ptarmigan (also called rock ptarmigan).
- Mammals: The mountain is home to mountain hare, red deer, and even a herd of reindeer.
- Wildflowers: Look out for beautiful wildflowers like dwarf cornel, cloudberry, and butterwort.
For many of these species, Cairn Gorm is a very important place where they can thrive.
Cairngorm Mountain Ski Resort
| Cairngorm Mountain | |
|---|---|
Cairngorm Mountain base station in June 2008
|
|
| Location | Cairn Gorm, near Aviemore Highland, Scotland United Kingdom |
| Nearest city | Inverness - 40 mi. (65 km) |
| Vertical | 1,607 ft (490 m) |
| Top elevation | 3,757 ft (1,145 m) |
| Base elevation | 2,150 ft (660 m) |
| Runs | 35 - 11 easier - 10 intermediate - 11 difficult - 3 very difficult |
| Lift system | 14 - 1 railway (120 person) - 2 doubles (mothballed) - 11 surface |
| Snowmaking | 4 TechnoAlpin T40,
1 TechnoAlpin TF10, 8 TechnoAlpin TR8, 1 TechnoAlpin double decker Snow Factory |
| Night skiing | occasional |
| Website | CairnGorm Mountain |
A Brief History of Skiing
The ski resort on Cairn Gorm started in 1960. A chairlift and a small building for visitors opened in December 1961. It's the second-largest ski resort in Scotland. In the 1980s, thousands of skiers would visit on busy weekends.
Over time, fewer people came to ski in Scotland. This was partly because it became cheaper to fly to ski resorts in other countries. Also, snow conditions in Scotland can be unpredictable. However, in recent winters, there has been lots of snow, and more people are coming to ski again! The resort has even added special snow cannons to help make more snow when needed.
Cairn Gorm Locomotive
Did you know there's a train named after Cairn Gorm? It's a special locomotive used by Caledonian Sleeper. This company runs overnight trains from London Euston to different places in Scotland. This particular train is the only one of its kind (a Class 67 locomotive) used by Caledonian Sleeper. It's even been made into a model train by Hornby!
Images for kids
-
The automated weather station on Cairn Gorm
