When the clouds are within grasp of a hand

The Cairngorm Mountains in the Scottish Highlands are not especially tall, topping out at about 1,300 meters. But their modest heights boast a fierce reputation: Scotland is one of the top destinations in the world for winter climbing on mixed rock and ice terrain, and the region has produced some of the boldest, strongest and technically proficient mountaineers in history, including Hamish MacInnes of Glencoe, who invented the first metal ice axe, and Dave MacLeod, who established some of the most technically challenging climbing routes in Scotland.

Formed from a granite pluton, the Cairngorms sit atop a glacially carved plateau that has long presented a barrier to travel through the region. To this day, the Cairngorms are bisected by a network of ancient footpaths, but no roads. One of the most famous and dramatic routes through the Cairngorms runs through the Lairig Ghru, a deep, narrow, 43-kilometer-long glacially carved canyon that has served as a major trade and migration route from Aviemore to Braemar for hundreds or perhaps thousands of years.

Exploring the Cairngorms on foot is not for the faint-hearted or tender-footed. The year-round arctic-like weather is dangerously unpredictable and the terrain is intensely rugged. But in spite of the dangers — or perhaps because of them — the Cairngorms have inspired mountain men and women to climb their glacially sculpted granitic slopes since at least the 16th century, when the first ascents of major peaks were recorded.

You don’t have to be a world-class mountaineer to experience the Cairngorms, however. The region is preserved within the bounds of Cairngorms National Park — the largest park in the British Isles — which maintains hundreds of kilometers of hiking paths suitable for all skill levels. The park also offers skiing, mountain and road biking, horseback riding, fishing and golfing.

Scotland isn’t a big place, but it boasts some of the most diverse and inspiring geology found anywhere in the world. A dramatically scenic, globe-trotting landmass known for being the birthplace of geology and mountaineering, Scotland should be at the top of every geo-traveler’s list.

www.earthmagazine.org/article/travels-geology-inspiring-globe-trotting-rocks-scotland