Lairig Ghru

The Lairig Ghru (Scottish Gaelic: Làirig Dhrù) is one of the mountain passes through the Cairngorms of Scotland. The route and mountain pass partially lies on the Mar Lodge Estate.

Like many traditional routes the ends of the route through the Lairig Ghru are like the ends of a frayed rope. From the south the Lairig Ghru can be approached from Braemar though Glen Lui, or Glen Dee, and from Blair Atholl through Glen Tilt. From the north the Lairig Ghru can be approached from Glen More through the Chalamain Gap, and from Aviemore through the Rothiemurchus Forest (pronounced like - rothy-murkh-us) by way of the Crossroads above Allt Drùidh.

Name

Watson gives the place name "Làirig Dhrù", meaning pass of Dhru or Druie, with the local pronunciation "Laarig Groo". He suggests the "probable" derivation as from Drùdhadh meaning oozing. Any visitor to the summit of the Lairig Ghru would accept that as a possible derivation because two watercourses, one on each side of the summit, appear to "ooze" from the valley floor.

The Devil's Point

The Devil's Point (Scottish Gaelic: Bod an Deamhain) is a mountain in the Cairngorms of Scotland, lying to the west of the Lairig Ghru pass. The name is derived from Gaelic, meaning "Penis of the Demon". The English name is a result of a visit to the area by Queen Victoria. She asked her local ghillie, John Brown, to translate the name; to avoid embarrassment he gave a euphemistic answer.

Although The Devil's Point is strikingly distinct when seen from the south, it is in fact very much a subsidiary peak of Cairn Toul, the summit of which lies some 3 km to the north. The easiest route is to follow the path leading up the Coire Odhar from Corrour Bothy, on the eastern side of the mountain. To reach the bothy requires a long walk in; the most usual route is to follow the Lairig Ghru from Linn of Dee, a distance of some 12 km.

The Devil's Point is often climbed along with Cairn Toul. Sgòr an Lochain Uaine, which lies to the north of Cairn Toul is sometimes called The Angel's Peak, possibly as a counterpoint to The Devil's Point.