At One with the Mountains - An interview with Nick Gardner
Issue 6: Nick Gardner and his wife Janet were living an idyllic life on a croft…
Drumochter and Loch Ericht
A' Bhuidheanach Bheag
A Munro of 936 metres, number 239 of the 282.
The hill
A' Bhuidheanach Bheag is one of the Drumochter hills, on the east side of the A9 near Dalwhinnie.
Its top is flat, open ground, and the highest point is bare ground eleven metres from a trig point.
Its partner is Carn na Caim, about five kilometres to the north, and the two are normally climbed together. A' Mharconaich is about six kilometres to the west.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority names the Drumochter hills as the southern end of the Park's mountains, which run from here through the corries of Glen Clova and Glen Esk to Lochnagar in the east.
- Starts from
- Transport Scotland's 2016 note on walkers' routes names a Munro track for Carn na Caim and A' Bhuidheanach, reached by crossing the A9 on the level by northbound lay-by 85.
- Stalking
- Check for stalking before you go and follow any signs.
- Under snow
- There is no avalanche forecast for this hill. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service's forecasts for its six areas begin on 17 December 2026. Having no forecast does not mean there is no risk under snow.
- Summit
- Grid reference NN 660 775. The highest ground is 11 metres west-south-west of the trig point.
- The road
- In October 2026 Transport Scotland listed the dualling of the A9 from Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie and from Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore as in preparation. Its 2016 note warns that the Drumochter Pass lay-bys may be affected during construction. Works on the road change from day to day, so check Traffic Scotland on the day you travel.
- Toilets
- Dalwhinnie has a service station with a toilet.
On the hill today
1° to 4°Drizzle on the summit, 936 m. Feels like −3° in the wind.
North-west wind to 13 mph, gusting 29
Rain, about 2 mm
Light from 7.50am to 6.13pm, ten hours
Sat 17Some cloud−1° to 4° on top · 9 mph, gusts 20
Sun 18Clear−3° to 4° on top · 9 mph, gusts 16
Mon 19Drizzle−5° to 6° on top · 9 mph, gusts 16
A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: Southeastern Highlands forecast, Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath forecast, A' Bhuidheanach Bheag, North Grampian mountain forecast.
October2026
MTWTFSS
Going another day?
Choose the day you mean to climb.Near or far: the light you will have, and what the summit is likely to be doing.
Photographs by Benjamin Murtagh and John MacPherson, via Google
Before you go
Carry
- A paper map and a compass, and the skill to use them
- Waterproofs, warm layers, hat and gloves
- Food and drink
- A head torch, a whistle and a first aid kit
- A survival bag
- Boots with a good grip
Under snow and ice this is a different day, with short light and the risk of avalanche. It needs an ice axe, crampons, winter boots and the skill to use them.
If something goes wrong
- Dial 999, ask for the police, then mountain rescue
- Give a six-figure grid reference: the summit is NN 660 775
- Say how many are hurt, how many are with you, and your number
- Register to text 999 before the day: text the word register to 999
The summit is optional. Turning back is the right decision whenever the cloud, the wind or the light say so.
How to call for help in the hills · Safety and skills for the hills · ThinkWINTER
From our readers
Nobody has written from A' Bhuidheanach Bheag yet. If you were up, yours would be the first.
Tell the next person
Were you up? Three words is enough.A free account, a word for the weather and a line if you like.
Read more elsewhere
For the route itself, take the map and read these.
- A' Bhuidheanach Bheag on WalkhighlandsA full route description with a mapwalkhighlands.co.ukThe route↗
- Transport Scotland's note on walkers' routesTransport Scotland's own record, from 2016, of the track for these two hills and where walkers cross the A9transport.gov.scotCrossing the A9↗
- A9 dualling, Dalwhinnie to CrubenmoreTransport Scotland on the scheme for the stretch of road where the track begins; it is still in preparationtransport.gov.scotThe road↗
- Southeastern Highlands forecastThe Mountain Weather Information Service's forecast, three days ahead and written by forecasters. Its area takes in Drumochter, with a note on the old county of Perthshire; read it with the Cairngorms forecastmwis.org.ukMountain weather↗
- Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath forecastRead it beside the Southeastern Highlands one; the service's area map shows which covers the hillmwis.org.ukMountain weather↗
- A' Bhuidheanach BheagThe Met Office's forecast for the summit itself: a model for one point, not a report from the hillweather.metoffice.gov.ukSummit forecast↗
- North Grampian mountain forecastThe Met Office's mountain forecast for the area, the one its summit page links toweather.metoffice.gov.ukMountain weather↗
- A9 roadworks and closuresWorks, lane closures and closed lay-bys on the A9, which change from day to daytraffic.gov.scotNotices↗
Next along: Carn na Caim, A' Mharconaich, Geal-charn, Sgairneach Mhor. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are Transport Scotland's and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service's; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's and the Met Office's, and the road news Traffic Scotland's. Height and position from The Database of British and Irish Hills, v18.3, adapted, CC BY 4.0. This page is not a route description and does not replace a map.