Braeriach

Braeriach (Scottish Gaelic: Am Bràigh Riabhach meaning "The Grey Uplands") is the third-highest mountain in the British Isles, surpassed only by Ben Nevis and Ben Macdui. It is the highest point in the western massif of the Cairngorms, separated from the central section (containing Ben Macdui and Cairn Gorm) by the pass of the Lairig Ghru. The summit has a crescent shape, with several corries. The lingering snows of Braeriach are amongst the most persistent snow patches in Scotland and - by extension - the entire British Isles. The north-facing corrie of Garbh Coire Mor has been snow-free just seven times in the last one hundred years: 1933, 1959, 1996, 2003, 2006, 2017 and 2021, although the rate and occurrence of melting appears to be increasing.[2]

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	Brindled greyish upper part
Language of name	Gaelic
Pronunciation	Scottish Gaelic: [əm ˈpɾaːj ˈrˠiəvəx]
Geography
Location	Cairngorms, Scotland
OS grid	NN953999
Topo map	OS Landranger 36, 43

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.