Cairn Gorm

Cairn Gorm ( gd, An Càrn Gorm) is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. It is part of the Cairngorms range and wider Grampian Mountains. With a summit elevation of above sea level, Cairn Gorm is classed as a Munro and is the seventh-highest mountain in the British Isles. The high, broad domed summit overlooking Strathspey is one of the most readily identifiable mountains from the nearby town and regional centre of Aviemore. Although it shares its name with the Cairngorm mountains, Ben Macdui is the highest mountain in the range.

Since the 1960s over of the north-western slopes of the mountain in and have been developed for alpine skiing. The ski lift infrastructure includes a funicular railway in Coire Cas. The corrie south of Coire Cas, , is separated from the ski area by a ridge known as . The southern slopes of Cairn Gorm overlook the remote Loch Avon (pronounced Loch A'an).

Etymology

The mountain shares its name with the wider Cairngorms mountain range and the Cairngorms National Park of which it is a part. This is despite that it is neither the highest nor the most prominent mountain in the range. The Cairngorms mountain range was historically known as , a Scottish Gaelic name meaning The Red Hills. The Scottish Gaelic means "blue" in English; but when describing vegetation can mean "green" or "greening", so Cairn Gorm can mean either Blue Cairn or Green Cairn.

Climate

Cairn Gorm has a tundra climate ( Köppen ''ET''). There is an automated weather station (AWS) controlled by Heriot-Watt University on the summit of the mountain providing temperature and wind speed data. There is also a separate AWS run by the Met Office (synop code 03065) that publishes temperature and frost data. Cairn Gorm averages 194.4 frost days per annum, making it the coldest weather station in the United Kingdom. Winter low temperatures are not extreme when compared with some other UK stations, but the severity of the climate is illustrated by its cool summers.

The highest temperature since 1985 is , recorded on 23 May 1989. The coldest temperature is on 6 March 2007. Daytime temperatures staying below all day occur most frequently between October and May but have been observed during every month of the year. Daytime maximum temperatures below and night-time temperature above are uncommon. The lowest daytime maximum was on 28 February 2018.
The Foehn wind can affect the mountain, particularly during late autumn and winter. This phenomenon presumably resulted in the November record high.

The warmest month on record is July 2006, with a mean temperature of . Conversely, the coldest month on record is March 2013, with a mean temperature of .

Cairn Gorm is notable for having the highest ever recorded wind speed in the UK on land. A wind gust of was recorded on 20 March 1986. A wind gust of was recorded at Cairn Gorm on 19 December 2008 but was discovered too late to be verified by the Met Office.

Hiking and climbing

In clear, calm weather, the ascent of Cairn Gorm is a straightforward hike via the alpine ski area on the northern slopes. But when the mountain is stormbound, particularly in winter during blizzard and high avalanche risk conditions, any ascent or descent can be potentially lethal - particularly during ''white-outs'' when it is easy to lose one's bearings near the barren, featureless summit which is ringed in many directions by precipitous drops. In common with all the highest Cairngorm summits, ascents during winter conditions (which can and usually do extend well into springtime) will often require good navigation skills and winter climbing equipment such as crampons and ice-axes. The ''Windy Ridge'' path on ''Sròn an Aonaich'' lying to the northeast of Coire Cas is a steep and direct route, and is generally recommended by local Rangers, guides and guidebooks. Another route to the summit is the access road up the centre of Coire Cas, however this route is a track used by the railway operator's vehicles, and gives an indirect route with several steep sections. It is not recommended as an ascent route, especially during the skiing season, though it gives good views of the Cairngorm Mountain Railway in its lower sections. Also in Coire Cas, ''Fiacaill a' Choire Chais'' offers a good walking route to Cairn Gorm and the adjacent plateau. A circuit of the cliff tops overlooking the Northern Corries of Cairn Gorm is highly recommended in many guide books and publications, giving one of the finest views in Scotland. Walkers are advised to consult the local map and call in at the Ranger Base at the car park.

There are many climbing routes at the head of Coire an t-Sneachda and Coire an Lochain, and in winter these corries form one of Scotland's major ice climbing areas.

1971 disaster

On 21–22 November 1971, five pupils from Ainslie Park High School in Edinburgh and a trainee instructor from Newcastle-under-Lyme died in a blizzard at Feith Buidhe on the Cairn Gorm plateau. It stands as the UK's worst mountaineering disaster.

Wildlife

The mountain is home to a number of bird species, including dotterel and ring ouzel (in the spring and summer) and snow bunting and ptarmigan (also known as rock ptarmigan) (all year round). Mammals inhabiting the mountain include mountain hare, red deer and a herd of reindeer. Wildflowers found on the mountain include dwarf cornel