Ben Avon

Ben Avon
Aberdeenshire, Banffshire
Ben Avon, across the Sneck
Range:	Cairngorms
Summit:	3,842 feet NJ131018 57°5’57"N, 3°26’4"W

Ben Avon is a mountain in the Cairngorms on the border of Aberdeenshire and Banffshire. The mountain is a broad massif, whose highest point, its summit, is known as Leabaidh an Dàimh Bhuide (bed of the yellow stag). Ben Avon reaches 3,842 feet and so is classified as a Munro.

The name of the mountain is believed to be from the Gaelic Beinn Athfhinn, menaing "Hill of the bright one". However is it noticeably above Glen Avon, the valley of the River Avon albeit some miles from the stream itself, so philologists may argue over whether its name is from the river (whose name is assumed to mean simply "river") or the river from the mountain or whether they are from the same source at all.

Ben Avon is a very large and complex mountain sprawling over more than 12 square miles. The summit plateau is dominated by granite tors, one of which forms the summit. From the broad summit plateau ridges lead in almost every direction, allowing access from Glen Avon to the north, from Beinn a' Bhùird to the west and from Gleann an t-Slugain in the south.

Cairn Eas

Cairn Eas is a subsidiary top of Ben Avon, on the Aberdeenshire side of the mountain at NO122992. It reaches 3,573 feet and is listed as a Munro top. This is one of the great peaks of Mar.

Ascent

To the west of the summit lies the massive corrie named Slochd Mòr, with its rocky cliffs, and the approaches from the south and west take you close to the corrie rim.

Leabaidh an Dàimh Bhuide: the summit

The most common ascent route is by the path in the deep glen that separates Ben Avon and Beinn a' Bhùird, or from Beinn a' Bhùird itself. The top of the summit tor itself, a necessity for properly "bagging" the mountain, is a scramble but without great difficulty is even weather.

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