CÀIRN TOUL

THE STORY

South of wild An Garbh Coire stands the mountain Cairn Toul. The name is the Anglicised version of the Gaelic Càrn an t-Sabhail - 'peak of the barn'. A 'barn' can refer to warlike granite tors, but there are none on Cairn Toul; so, the name is believed to derive from the barn-like shape seen from east, from Ben Macdui, where the summit and corrie have the shape of a ridged roof. This is one of four Munro summits sitting upon this huge block of mountain that stretches from Devil's Point, passing Cairn Toul, Angel's Peak and Braeriach and down Sròn na Lairige. Three of Scotland's five tallest mountains are here.

THE DETAILS

Mountain name, how to say it, what it means   |   its height   |   Mountain region; closest town(s) [may be some distance away tho!]   |   the view-points

THE VIEW-POINTS

1. Ben MacDui: from here Toul takes on an almost perfect triangular form, with the entire mountain-mass below its grand peak
   
2. Loch nan Cnapan: in calm weather, this could provide a mirrored view of the flowing wave of the summits on this mass of mountain
   
3. Carn a' Mhaim: this hill provides a view straight into Coire an t-Saighdeir with a view along Lairig Ghru providing situational awareness
4. Braeriach: maybe a super-wide lens, else a pano shot, will show Toul and MacDui standing guard high above Lairig Ghru
   
5. Lurcher's Crag: this one-time Munro gives a view across the Pools of Dee into Lochan Uaine, with Toul still triangular

THE LOCALE

The hill demands a long trek of anticipation, though you can cut short a lot of the time by riding a bike as far as you are able. Along with it's slightly higher brother Ben MacDui, the hill stands guardian over the southern Lairig Ghru. But unlike that hill, it can't be seen from the north as the third point of this mighty triangle - Braeriach - stands in the way across the depths of An Garbh-Choire. Either route in won't bore though, they pass through stunning scenery.

ALONG THE WAY:

Derry Lodge  |  Devil's Point  |  Corrour Bothy  |  Cairn Toul  |  Lochan Uaine  |  Lairig Ghru  |  An Garbh Choire  |  Linn of Dee

NEAREST BOTHY:

Corrour  |  Bob Scott's  |  howff only:  Garbh Choire

USUALLY WALKED WITH:

m005 Angel's Peak   |   m130 Devil's Point

PLANNING

These links lead to the variety of walks, weather and maps to aid in planning your adventure to portray this hill.

FURTHER INFORMATION FOR THIS MUNRO:

McNeish "The Munros" 1999 p.125  |  SMC Hillwalkers 2013 p.140  |  Walkhighlands "The Munros" 2019 p.262  |  Bothy Bible 2017 p.175 + 169 + 201

• Walk 1: from Linn of Dee passing Derry Lodge and rounding into Lairig Ghru from the south
  
• Walk 2: the northern route through Rothiemurcus Forest into Lairig Ghru up to the Pools of Dee
  
• Walk 3: western approach from Glen Feshie