Lochnagar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lochnagar |
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| Cac Carn Beag | |
Lochnagar corrie in winter
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,155 metres (3,789 ft) |
| Prominence | 671 metres (2,201 ft) |
| Isolation | 19.21 km (11.94 miles) |
| Parent peak | Ben Avon |
| Listing | Munro, Marilyn |
| Naming | |
| English translation | Little loch of the noisy sound |
| Language of name | Gaelic |
| Geography | |
 Lochnagar
Location in Scotland
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| Parent range | Grampian Mountains |
| OS grid | NO244861 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 44 |
Lochnagar or Beinn Chìochan is a mountain in the Grampians of Scotland, located about five miles south of the River Dee near Balmoral. It is a popular hill with hillwalkers, and is a noted venue for summer and winter climbing.
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Names
Technically, the English name is a misunderstanding, being named after Lochan na Gaire, the 'little loch of the noisy sound', a loch to be found in the mountain's northeast corrie. Today the lochan is popularly called Lochnagar too. The summit itself may be referred to as Cac Càrn Beag, meaning "small cairn of faeces" in Scottish Gaelic. Peter Drummond, former chairman of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, has also suggested that cac is a corruption of cadha ('slope'), which would lend a translation of little cairn of the slope.
Lochnagar's alternative name, Beinn Chìochan, is probably the original Gaelic name for the mountain.
Geography
Lochnagar is located on the Royal Estate of Balmoral. Its principal feature is a north-facing corrie, around which most of the subsidiary tops, as well as the main peak, sit. The corrie is the location of many classic summer and winter climbing routes. The mountain is a Munro and is popular with hillwalkers at all times of the year, with the most common ascent route being from Glen Muick. Care should be taken on the summit in poor visibility: the plateau has few obvious features and has steep cliffs on its northern edge.
Climate
Lochnagar's summit experiences an Alpine Tundra Climate, with freezing, snowy winters and cool summers. The nearest UK Met Office weather station is at Braemar 6.6 miles (10.6 km) northwest. The yearly temperature range is usually between −6.6 °C (20.1 °F) and 9.4 °C (48.9 °F), but it can be slightly warmer and colder. January has the highest average frosts, despite February nights being colder; January has an average of 26.9 frost days, compared with 24.3 in February. There is the risk of a frost at any time of the year, even in July and August, when each month averages 1 air frost every 10 years.
Nature and conservation
Lochanagar lies within the Cairngorms National Park, and also gives its name to Deeside and Lochnagar National Scenic Area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland. The designated national scenic area is 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres) in size, and covers the mountains surrounding Lochnagar as far south as the head of Glen Doll, as well Deeside to the north.
The mountain forms part of two designated Special Protection Areas, due to its importance for breeding dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) and golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos).
