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A cairn built on a granite slab on the stony top of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor, a strip of metal leaning against it, with a deep glen and rounded hills beyond.
Glenshee, Lochnagar and Glen Clova

Carn an t-Sagairt Mor

A Munro of 1,047 metres, number 83 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Carn an t-Sagairt Mor stands in Aberdeenshire, inside the Cairngorms National Park, on the high ground by Glen Callater.

Its nearest Munro is Carn a' Choire Bhoidheach, about two kilometres to the east, and Lochnagar is about four to the north-east.

Jock's Road, the old right of way, crosses the high ground beside the hill. Down in Glen Callater the stable bothy belongs to Invercauld Estate, a working estate with farming and sporting activities.

On another side of this ground, the Balmoral Estate's rangers manage public access to Glen Muick and the Lochnagar area.

Starts from
Three car parks lie round this ground, each on its own side: the Spittal of Glen Muick, Auchallater for Glen Callater, and Glen Doll. Read the route and the notices below before choosing.
The ground
The Balmoral Estate's rangers manage public access to Glen Muick and the Lochnagar area. Invercauld Estate runs the car park for Glen Callater and owns the bothy in the glen. Check for stalking before you go.
Jock's Road
ScotWays describes Jock's Road, the old right of way over the high ground beside this hill, as crossing a high, exposed and featureless plateau that in winter is frequently swept by storms.
Summit
Grid reference NO 208 842
Glen Muick
On 4 March 2026 the Southern Cairngorms avalanche forecasters reported the bridge from the public road to the Glen Muick visitor centre damaged and closed to vehicles and people on foot. Ask the Balmoral rangers before you set out. The estate says there is no public transport to the Spittal of Glen Muick.
Auchallater
Invercauld Estate's pay-and-display car park for Glen Callater, 3 km south of Braemar on the A93. In 2026 it charged £3.50 a vehicle for up to a full day, with coins only at the machines.
Glen Doll
Forestry and Land Scotland's car park, on the minor road from the head of Glen Clova, nearest postcode DD8 4RD. In 2026 it charged £3 for the day by coins, card or RingGo, free with a Blue Badge, and Angus Council keeps toilets there. In October 2026 part of the car park was closed from 24 August 2026 for up to three months, the Dounalt road was shut for forestry work with a diversion for Jock's Road, and the Capel Road Track was blocked by trees.
On the hill today

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, Southeastern Highlands forecast, Carn an t-Sagairt Mor, Southern 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.

The stony top of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor looking over green slopes to a twin-topped hill, a small loch far below.

Photographs by steve whitmarsh, 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 NO 208 842
  • 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

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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: Carn a' Choire Bhoidheach, Cairn Bannoch, Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag, Broad Cairn. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are Invercauld Estate's, ScotWays', Forestry and Land Scotland's, the Cairngorms National Park Authority's and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service's; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's and the Met Office'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.