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The funicular track running down Cairn Gorm's heather slopes beside a built path, Loch Morlich far below.
The Cairngorms

Cairn Gorm

A Munro of 1,245 metres, number 6 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Cairn Gorm, in the Cairngorms National Park, is the sixth highest of the 282 Munros.

From its summit the view runs across the Cairngorm plateau towards Ben Macdui, about five kilometres to the south, and Harvey's Cairn Gorm map names it among five summits over 4,000 feet.

Scotland's only funicular railway climbs its northern slopes to the Ptarmigan Top Station at 1,097 metres, the highest mountain railway in the United Kingdom. Outside the snowsports season its passengers stay inside the top station, so the summit is kept for walkers.

The ski area belongs to the Cairngorm Estate, owned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which has put £2 million into repairing the paths onto the plateau.

From the main car park in Coire Cas, the Windy Ridge climb, the steeper way, runs up the left-hand side of the corrie onto the upper mountain. The Summit Path leaves from it, or from the upper mountain trail beyond the Lower Cas Loop. In winter the waymarks inside the ski area are taken away.

Starts from
The Coire Cas car park, 635 metres above sea level and 10 miles from Aviemore
Summit
Grid reference NJ 005 040
The railway
It does not carry walkers up. If you have walked up, you can buy a ticket down from the top station (£11.50 an adult in 2026); the last train down is at 4.30pm, weather permitting.
Car park
Coire Cas, at the foot of the ski area. In 2026: free for 45 minutes, then £3.50 for up to 8 hours or £5.50 for up to 18; free with a Blue Badge, and all through the snowsports season.
Without the car
The Aviemore Adventurer 30 bus runs between Aviemore and the Base Station seven days a week.
Toilets and overnight
Toilets at the Base Station. To leave a car overnight for the hills (£5.50 a night), tell the Ticket Office first and fill in the operator's digital route card.
On the hill today
−2° to 1°Drizzle on the summit, 1,245 m. Feels like −7° in the wind.

West wind to 18 mph, gusting 35
Rain, about 4 mm
Light from 7.49am to 6.10pm, ten hours

Sat 17Cloudy−2° to 1° on top · 14 mph, gusts 31
Sun 18Clear−3° to 3° on top · 12 mph, gusts 23
Mon 19Drizzle−4° to 4° on top · 12 mph, gusts 21

A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath forecast, Cairn Gorm Summit, Northern Cairngorms avalanche 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 denisbin, Balázs Márk, Stuart Macfarlane and Kyle Baptie, via Google

During winter, many of these routes are affected by snow, ice and winter snowsports operations.Cairngorm Mountain, which runs the car park, the railway and the ranger base
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 NJ 005 040
  • 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 Cairn Gorm yet. If you were up, yours would be the first.

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From the magazine
Read more elsewhere

For the route itself, take the map and read these.

Sleep and eat at its foot

Next along: Beinn Mheadhoin, Bynack More, Beinn a' Chaorainn, Ben Macdui. Checked on 9 October 2026. The facts on this page are Cairngorm Mountain's, which runs the ski area for its owner, Highlands and Islands Enterprise. 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.