Cairngorm is a variety of smoky quartz found in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. It usually has a smoky yellow-brown colour, though some specimens are greyish-brown. It is used in Scottish jewellery and as a decoration on kilt pins and the handles of sgianan-dubha (anglicised: sgian-dubhs or skean dhu).

What does Cairngorm mean in Gaelic?

the blue mountain The Cairngorms get their English name from the Gaelic An Crn Gorm ‘the blue mountain’ (the location of the ski resort). Their Gaelic name is Am Monadh Ruadh ‘the russet mountains’, a commentary on the colour of the granite which dominates the range.

What are the Cairngorms famous for?

The Cairngorms National Park is home to one-quarter of Scotland’s native forest; one-third of the UK land above 600 meters; more breeding waders than the whole of Wales and a quarter of the rare and endangered species in the UK!

Is the Cairngorm A Munro?

Munro peak and 6th highest mountain in Scotland. Meaning ‘blue cairn’, Cairngorm now lends it’s name to the vast area in the Eastern Highlands known as the Monadh Ruadh. In summer conditions, Cairngorm is one of the easiest Munros to bag !

Is a Cairngorm a citrine?

Cairngorm is the name given to a citrine quartz variety with an amber or brown color traditionally mined in the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland. During the Victorian period cairngorms were extensively used in traditional Scottish jewelry such as kilt ornaments, bonnet brooches or carved thistle shapes.

What is Cairngorm mean in English?

smoky quartz 1 : smoky quartz. 2 : a light-colored, usually yellowish smoky quartz that is used as a gemstone.

What is a Cairngorm eye?

a rare very hard greenish-yellow mineral consisting of beryllium aluminate in orthorhombic crystalline form and occurring in coarse granite: used as a gemstone in the form of cat’s eye and alexandrite.

What does Monadh mean?

Noun. monadh m (genitive singular monaidh, plural monaidhean) moor, heath Synonyms: minteach, sliabh. (Argyll, Argyll and Bute) mountain, hill Synonyms: beinn, cnoc, sliabh. Any hill-pasture as distinguished from meadow and arable land.

How do I get to Cairngorm?

Air. The nearest airports to the Cairngorms National Park are at Aberdeen and Inverness. Inverness Airport is only a 30 minute drive to the Badenoch and Strathspey area of the National Park, while Aberdeen International Airport is an hours drive away from the Royal Deeside area of the Park.

Do you get midges in the Cairngorms?

They can be a bother in the Cairngorms, but the drier weather here and the sometimes windy conditions, keep the levels of midge down to manageable levels. Midges in Scotland do love damp forest conditions though as the trees provide them with shelter from the wind and the sun, so be careful if you picnic in the woods.

Are the Cairngorms worth visiting?

We highly recommend you visit this wonderful scenic setting in Scotland… Drove through the Cairngorms, using A93 on a round-Scotland road trip. The beautiful vistas are plentiful and the scenery is rugged. There’s lots of spots to pull over to enjoy the views.

Can you walk up Cairngorm?

You will first begin by walking up the Coire Cas Route which is found to the right of the ski centre car park to the top of the funicular station. From the top station, it is a straightforward walk to the top of Cairngorm. You will follow a clear, rocky path which makes Cairngorm a fairly easy climb.

How tall is Ben macdui?

4,295 Ben Macdui / Elevation Ben Macdui, the highest mountain in the massif, with an elevation of 4,296 feet (1,309 metres), is the second highest mountain (after Ben Nevis) in the British Isles.

What mountain range is Ben Nevis?

Grampian Mountains Ben Nevis / Mountain range The Grampian Mountains occupy nearly half of the land area of Scotland and includes the Cairngorms and the two highest mountains in the United Kingdom; Ben Nevis (1,345m) in Fort William and Ben Macdui (1,309m) here in the Cairngorms National Park.

Is tourmaline a crystal?

Tourmaline is a six-member ring cyclosilicate having a trigonal crystal system. It occurs as long, slender to thick prismatic and columnar crystals that are usually triangular in cross-section, often with curved striated faces. … All hemimorphic crystals are piezoelectric, and are often pyroelectric as well.

What color citrine is most valuable?

The most highly valued citrine color is a deep red-orange valued at around $30 dollars per carat, and found most often in Brazil – gemstones of this color are sometimes called fire citrine. The lighter varieties of pale yellow citrine color, found often in Bolivia, have a lower value of around $10 dollars per carat.

How do you tell if a stone is citrine or topaz?

You can tell the treated stones from the natural because they will have a red tint to them, while natural citrine does not. With a hardness one step (7) down from topaz on the Mohs scale, it’s a fairly durable gem and great for everyday wear. Citrine is known for its healing properties with the ability to calm nerves.

What is a Gorm?

gorm = gaelic for blue, so an adult man with a blue tinge to his shaven chin is known as ‘gorm’ and conversely a callow inexperienced youth is gorm-less.

What is Aviemore known for?

Aviemore is best known for its great selection of ski locations, secluded lochs, enchanting forests and cycle trails. This attracts tourists from all over the world to this fantastic Scottish holiday location. This resort is popular among winter sports enthusiasts due to it’s close proximity to the Cairn Gorm mountain.

Who owns the Cairngorms?

The majority of the land in the National Park (approximately 75% of the area) is privately owned by individuals or trusts. Significant areas such as Mar Lodge Estate in Deeside and Abernethy Estate in Strathspey are owned by Charitable conservation bodies.

Are Cairngorm stones valuable?

The gem minerals have been prized and sought after for centuries. … The smoky, or cairngorm, quartz in particular, has been found as very large crystals and crystal groups (up to 20kg in weight) and the value of these as mineral specimens, rather than gemstones has long been recognised.

How difficult is Ben macdui?

Ben Macdui and Cairngorm are two of the highest mountains in the country and rest in on the vast plateaux of the Cairngorms in Scotland’s eastern highlands. … Route outline.

Munros Cairngorm Ben Macdui
Terrain easy hard
Nav easy hard
Effort easy hard
Scenery ok fab

What is the highest peak in the Grampian mountains?

Ben Nevis Grampian Mountains / Highest point Summits exceed 3,000 feet (900 metres), and the highest peaks are Ben Nevis, with an elevation of 4,406 feet (1,343 metres), and Ben Macdui, with an elevation of 4,296 (1,309 metres) in the Cairngorm Mountains. Ben Nevis, Grampian Mountains, Scot.

Where in Scotland is Tomintoul?

Nestled at a height of 1164 ft on the northern slopes of the Cairngorm Mountains, Tomintoul is the highest village in the Highlands. Situated between the Rivers Avon and Conglass, the town is an ideal place from which to explore the Glenlivet Estate, north eastern Cairngorms and Speyside Malt Whisky Trail.