Ben Macdui
Trip Guide & 3D Map
Cairngorms · Difficulty, season, and access — then explore the 3D terrain
Planning snapshot
Ben Macdui is a 4,295 ft summit in the Cairngorms (United Kingdom). PeakAtlas rates it strenuous hike (Strenuous day hike); best season is May–Sep. No special summit permit. Typical staging is Aviemore (12 mi). Limited lodging data is mapped from OpenStreetMap for this region — stage in the listed town rather than expecting a full hotel directory. Use the 3D map and trip checklist before you go.
- Elevation
- 4,295 ft
- Prominence
- 3,117 ft
- Difficulty tier
- Strenuous hike
- Best season
- May–Sep
- Permits
- No special summit permit
- Staging
- Aviemore · 12 mi
- Mapped lodging
- Limited / none mapped
- Listed trails
- —
As of 2026-07-31 · Figures come from the PeakAtlas3D catalog: surveyed elevations and prominence, curated difficulty tiers, best-season windows, permit notes, staging-town distances, trail lists, and OpenStreetMap lodging near each summit. Not live weather, quotas, or prices.
How hard is Ben Macdui, and what do you need before you go?
Ben Macdui is listed as Strenuous day hike with a best season of May–Sep. Use the difficulty, permit, and staging details below before you commit to a date.
- Difficulty
- Strenuous day hike
- Best season
- May–Sep
- Access / staging
- Aviemore, Highland
How tall is Ben Macdui, and where is it?
- Location
- Highland, United Kingdom
- Elevation
- 4,295 ft
- Prominence
- 3,117 ft
- Mountain range
- Cairngorms
- Difficulty
- Strenuous day hike
What makes Ben Macdui notable?
Scotland’s #2 summit and the high point of the Cairngorm plateau.
Second-highest mountain in the UK — a high Cairngorm plateau summit above Aviemore with long approaches and serious winter navigation.
After you check trip readiness for Ben Macdui, explore the summit on PeakAtlas3D’s interactive 3D topographic map in the Cairngorms, Highland, United Kingdom.
Closest places
- Aviemore — Highland via Cairngorm Mountain / Lairig Ghru