M11 |
1197 m. |
3927 ft.
Pronunciation byn a voord
Translation Table-hill
OS 36 | Gridref NJ 092006
Cord, Frank enjoyed it
2008 in Braemar was a very entertaining hiking holiday. We enjoyed a lot of sunshine, rode our bicycles and ticked quite few of the great Cainrgom hills. Among them these two remote and very handsome, big hills. Form Invercauld Estate where we had parked our car we rode our bicycles up Gleann an t-Slugain almost to the ruins of Slugain Lodge. This ride was quite exhausting. The ruins are set in a curious hollow between two slopes which also contains a little lochain.
Once in Glen Quoich we followed a very well-engineered path high above the Quoich water, passed the western slopes of Carn Eag Dhubh and Carn Eas and after the path got steeper passed the boulder called Clach a’Cléirich. In the upper reaches of the corrie there were still many snow fields which also covered the track so that we had the unexpected joy of tip-toeing over snow bridges and crossing large mushy stretches of snow. Then the col between the two Munros was reached and we turned east (right) to climb Ben Avon first. After another onenundred metres of climbing the plateau of this giant hill opened up before us. Vast is a good word to describe the views. After fifteen minutes of walking we climbed the granite tor of Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuidhe from its north side. This was fun and a pleasant change in the days menu of endless steps on grassy plateau. We paused close to the summit of the tor in the braod sunshine. Frank and I had some tea and chatted a bit. Then it became a little cold in the wind so we packed up and headed back to the col between the two hills. The on the final fifty metres before reaching the next plateau we had to negotiate a tricky small snowfield requiring maybe a hundred steps on untrustworthy steepish slush lying on grass. But fortunately nothing happened. Then it was another nice plateau walk to the un-inspiring summit of Beinn a’ Bhuird. However, the eastern corries of this hill are great. Really breathtaking cornices still persisted in some parts of the corries’ rims. From near A’ Chioch we took a good look at Dubh Lochan and Coire na Ciche. Then it was down-hill again to Carn Fiaclach over bouldery terrain. There we piked up the path that leads around the shoulder of this satellite of Beinn a’Bhuird to the flat moors by the Quoich Water. When we reached the banks of the burn it soon became clear that we would have to wade the cold Water. But this was rather refreshing in the end, even though I got a little wetter than I had asked for 
. From the east bank of Quoich Water we climbed th last 50 metres to the path we had used on the way in. Soon the ruined lodge came into view. Our bicycles were still where we had left them. We took another short break and then thoroughly enjoyed the crazy ride back to Invercauld Estate on the gravelly track which once made sure I had to let go of the bike in a very in-elegant way while crossing a little stream. No harm done though. Another fine day in the Cairngorm Mountains with hardly another living soul in sight. Perfect.
Description
This vast mountain stretches 10 kilometres from south to north between the pinewoods of Glen Quoich and the bare reaches of Glen Avon. The western side is rather featureless, being uniform heathery slopes , but the eastern side of the mountain has a magnificent line of corries overlooking the upper part of Glen Quoich and the narrow defile of Slochd Mor which drops northwards to Glen Avon. Between Glen Quoich and Slochd Mor, Beinn a' Bhuird is connected to Ben Avon at the col called The Sneck. Two routes to Beinn a'Bhuird are possible from the south. One starts from Keiloch near Invercauld Bridge a few kilometres east of Braemar and goes up Gleann an t-Slugain to the point just beyond the ruins of Slugain Lodge where the path reaches the Quoich Water. Cross the stream, climb the ridge to Carn Fiaclach, and continue up this ridge past the South Top to reach the plateau of Beinn a' Bhuird. Finally, go north along the plateau for 2½ kilometres to reach the North Top, which is the highest point. An alternative return route can be made by descending east to The Sneck and walking back along the path down the Quoich Water to Slugain Lodge. The second route starts from the Linn of Quoich at the end of the public road from Braemar via the Linn of Dee and Mar Lodge. Go along the track on the south-west side of the Quoich Water and continue north at the stream junction up a track which leads onto An Diollaid, a subsidiary ridge of Beinn a' Bhuird. This track, which is being restored to its natural state, leads up the ridge and onto the plateau a short distance south of the North Top.