Cairn O' Mounth

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Cairn O' Mounth/Cairn O' Mount (Scottish Gaelic: Càrn Mhon) is a high mountain pass in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The placename is a survival of the ancient name for what are now the Grampian Mountains - formerly called "the Mounth" (in Gaelic: "monadh", meaning moorland). The name change happened from circa 1520. Ordnance Survey show the name as Cairn o' Mount.

Cairn O' Mounth is at 1492 feet (455 m) above sea-level, and there are various commanding views of the surrounding landscape which - on a clear day - can run as far as the North Sea.

Before the modern A90 road was constructed, the pass served as one of the eight major crossing points for those travelling over the Grampians to Deeside and into Northern Scotland. Because of this, a small village grew up in the pass. The high granite tor of Clachnaben overlooks the road (now called the B974) through the pass. The Scottish Tourist Board describes the modern B974 as an "adventurous" road, and it is often impassable due to snow or flooding in winter. Despite this, it is said that the Clatterin' Brig restaurant on the south B974 ascent to Cairn O'Mounth is open all year round. In summer, the B974 becomes a well-known "racing road", and there are hazardous speeding high-powered motorbikes to beware of. Fatalities are commonly reported in the press.

The presence of the pass historically boosted the fortunes of the Howe o' the Mearns, a fertile area commanding the rough drovers roads approaching Cairn O'Mounth from the south. Once over the top, on the northern side the road descends to the Bridge of Dye (or "Brig O' Dye"), and then goes on to the drovers' favoured rest stop of Kincardine O'Neil village.

The Cairn O'Mounth pass was used by Edward I's English army in 1296, en route back to England. The route over the pass is probably prehistoric: there is a cairn in the pass that has been dated to 4000 years ago. It is possible that this cairn is the cairn named in the name of Cairn O'Mounth.