Ben Macdui

At 1,309 metres, Ben Macdui is the second highest mountain in Britain, sitting deep in the wild, arctic-like plateau at the heart of the Cairngorms.

The standard route starts from the Cairngorm Mountain ski centre car park near Aviemore. A path climbs past the ski buildings and up the Fiacaill a' Choire Cas ridge to a large cairn at around 1,141 metres, then follows the rim of the Coire an t-Sneachda cliffs over Stob Coire an t-Sneachda. From here the route crosses the broad, rolling plateau between Cairn Gorm and Ben Macdui — open, rocky, tundra-like terrain with little to break the wind. The path passes Lochan Buidhe before a final gentle climb to the summit, marked by a large cairn, trig point, and view indicator.

An alternative and quieter approach starts from Deeside at the Linn of Dee, following Glen Lui and Glen Luibeg before a steep climb, avoiding the ski centre infrastructure entirely.

The round trip from Cairngorm is approximately 17.5 kilometres and typically takes six to eight hours.

The plateau is notorious for sudden, severe weather and disorientating whiteouts, even in summer — this is the setting of the 1971 Cairngorm Plateau disaster, in which six young people died in a blizzard. Full winter skills, including ice axe and crampons, are essential when snow is present, and reliable navigation is essential year-round given the featureless terrain.

Parking at the Cairngorm Mountain car park is chargeable.