Beinn Bhreac

Beinn Bhreac, at 931 metres, is a remote, twin-peaked mountain sitting at the southern end of the Moine Bhealaidh (Yellow Moss), a featureless, boggy plateau in the heart of the Cairngorms, its eastern summit 4 metres higher than the western top. Often overlooked, it is separated from neighbouring Beinn a' Chaorainn by this vast, sprawling moorland, though the pinewoods of Glen Derry give a fine approach.

The route starts from the Linn of Dee car park, following a footpath signed for Glen Lui through the woods, past a boardwalk built across boggy ground, and out onto a track running past beautiful pinewoods towards Derry Lodge — many walkers cycle this initial stretch. Continuing north up Glen Derry, the path becomes drier for a time before a curious hummock above a bealach precedes a final climb up soggy slopes towards the plateau between Beinn Bhreac's two tops. The summit is the more easterly of the two, marked by a large cairn, with good views back down to the pinewoods of Glen Derry and out towards Lochnagar.

From here, the vast tablelands of the Moine Bhealaidh stretch ahead for several kilometres towards Beinn a' Chaorainn, visible in the distance; a path between the two summits of Beinn Bhreac keeps to the east side of extensive peaty ground, decorated with cottongrass, though it peters out in boggy sections before reappearing and vanishing again — the stony south-eastern shoulder of Beinn a' Chaorainn eventually gives drier going for those continuing to the second Munro.

The combined round taking in both Beinn Bhreac and Beinn a' Chaorainn from the Linn of Dee is a long day, around 28-29 kilometres, typically eight to ten hours or more.

The Moine Bhealaidh plateau is genuinely featureless and demands confident navigation in poor visibility, and the crossing of the Glas Allt Mòr on the return route could pose a problem in wet weather — full self-sufficiency and route-finding skills are essential given the remote nature of this whole area.

Parking at the Linn of Dee is chargeable; a bus service runs from Braemar, though only from July to September.