Braeriach

Braeriach or Brae Riach (Scottish Gaelic: Am Bràigh Riabhach, 'the brindled upland')[2] is the third-highest mountain in Scotland and all of the British Isles, after Ben Nevis and Ben Macdui, rising 1,296 metres (4,252 ft) above sea level. It is in the Scottish Highlands and is the highest point in the western massif of the Cairngorms, separated from the central section by the Lairig Ghru pass. The summit is a crescent-shaped plateau, overlooking several corries.

Braeriach
Am Bràigh Riabhach
Braeriach from the southeast
Highest point
Elevation	1,296 m (4,252 ft)[1]
Prominence	461 m (1,512 ft)
Parent peak	Ben Macdui
Listing	Marilyn, Munro
Naming
English translation	The brindled upland
Language of name	Gaelic
Pronunciation	Scottish Gaelic: [əm ˈpɾaːj ˈrˠiəvəx]
Geography
Braeriach Cairngorms, Scotland
OS grid	NN953999
Topo map	OS Landranger 36, 43

The lingering snows of Braeriach are amongst the most persistent snow patches in Scotland and the whole British Isles. The north-facing corrie of Garbh Coire Mor has been snow-free just nine times in the last one hundred years: 1933, 1959, 1996, 2003, 2006, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022 – but four times in the six years to 2022. The rate and occurrence of melting appears to be increasing.[3][4]

Probably the most commonly used route up Braeriach starts from Sugar Bowl car park, on the road leading to the Cairn Gorm ski area. From here a path leads over the hillside to a steep-sided rocky ravine known as the Chalamain Gap, before descending around 100 metres (330 ft) to the Lairig Ghru. After crossing this pass the route heads for the summit via Braeriach's north ridge, crossing a subsidiary peak, Sròn na Lairige. The summit is about 9 km (5.6 mi) from the car park by this route.