Meall a'Bhuachaille

Meall a' Bhuachaille — "Hill of the Herdsman" — is a Corbett standing apart from the main Cairngorms range above Loch Morlich, widely regarded as one of the best introductions to Highland hillwalking, with excellent paths throughout and a genuinely spectacular, uninterrupted panorama of the Northern Corries from its summit.

The route starts from the Glenmore Visitor Centre, heading up and turning right to pass the memorial commemorating Norwegian resistance fighters who trained here during the Second World War. At a vehicle barrier opposite the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre, the route turns left up a steep road before continuing on a forest track with impressive early views of the surrounding mountains. The path climbs through conifer plantation and a clear-felled area onto open, heather-covered slopes above the treeline, ascending through a vague corrie to the ridge crest just above the bealach shared with Creagan Gorm.

A short final climb leads to the summit, marked by an unusual, large cairn-cum-circular windshelter at 810 metres — Cairn Gorm and its Northern Corries look particularly magnificent from here, with the woods of Abernethy and Rothiemurchus Forest spread out below. The descent continues west with fine views down to Loch Morlich, on an excellent path that drops to the bealach — a good spot to watch for the Cairngorm reindeer, which are often grazing nearby. For those wanting a longer day, the ridge can be extended over Creagan Gorm to Craigowrie, a quieter, more remote option best walked in this direction for the finest views.

Otherwise, a clear path descends from the bealach, becoming waymarked with orange markers as it drops through the pines, widening into a track that passes close to An Lochan Uaine (the Green Lochan) and Ryvoan Bothy before a final signed path leads steeply back down to the visitor centre.

This is a genuinely excellent first hillwalk in the Cairngorms — good paths throughout, though steep and occasionally eroded in places, particularly on the descent — offering the wildness and scale of the range without the length or remoteness of the higher Munros.

Parking at Glenmore is chargeable; a bus service runs from Aviemore to Glenmore.