Ben Macdui

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Ben Macdui
Ben Macdui seen from Carn a' Mhaim
Elevation	1,309 m (4,294 ft)
Location	Moray / Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Range	Cairngorms
Prominence	950 m Ranked 9th in British Isles
Topo map	OS Landranger 36, 43
OS grid reference	NN989989
Listing	Marilyn, Munro, Council top (Aberdeenshire, Moray), County top (Aberdeenshire, Banffshire)
Translation	Mountain of the son of Duff (Gaelic)

For the mountain in South Africa, see Ben Macdhui (South Africa).

Ben Macdui (also spelled Ben Macdhui and Ben MacDui; in Gaelic, Beinn Macduibh or Beinn Mhic Dhuibh) is the highest mountain in the Cairngorms of Scotland, and the second highest in the United Kingdom after Ben Nevis. It lies on the southern edge of the Cairn Gorm plateau, on the boundary between Aberdeenshire and Moray.

Probably the easiest route of ascent is from the Coire Cas car park at the foot of Cairngorm Ski Centre by way of a path that lead up over slowly rising moorland. This route is approximately 7 km (4 miles) in length; a somewhat longer route allows one to also climb Cairn Gorm. One possible alternative route follows the path coming up from Loch Etchachan. This loch may be reached by from Loch Avon to the north or by coming up from Glen Derry to the South. Other routes include coming over Derry Cairngorm, or via the Lairig Ghru pass, which lies to the west of Ben Macdui.

Before the production of accurate maps of Scotland in the nineteenth century it was not known for certain that Ben Nevis was the highest point in Britain, and it was often thought that Ben Macdui might be the higher. After Ben Nevis was confirmed as the higher there were plans by some locals to build a cairn on the summit of Ben Macdui sufficient to bring its height above that of the Lochaber peak, though these plans did not come to fruition.

Nearly all these routes are long days by Scottish standards. When coming from the south it is common to make use of a bicycle to cover the 4 km (2½ mi) separating the road end at Linn of Dee from Derry Lodge at the southern end of the massif.

It is claimed that Ben Macdui is the home of Am Fear Liath Mòr (the "big grey man of Ben Macdui"). Opinion is divided as to the substance behind this reported phenomenon, which it is claimed resembles a yeti.

[edit] References

Bennett, Donald, et al, The Munros, SMC Hillwalkers' Guide (Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 1985). ISBN 0907521134
McNeish, Cameron, The Munros: Scotland's Highest Mountains, 2nd ed. (Lomond Books, 1998). ISBN 0947782508