Andy,

Cac is a more interesting reference than you think. It's certainly not meaningless and it's derivation has been the cause of a lot of schoolboy humour over the years. Your source is quite correct to state that the name is wrong but in truth it wouldn't have surprised me had it been correct, as the old Gaels were known for many earthy references. The date of these Cairngorm Journals is far enough in the past that I suspect that they would have been reluctant to dig too deeply and thus exposing their prudishness.

The source which you want is the excellent SMC publication, Scottish Hill Names, by Peter Drummond, an expensive but comprehensive and essential fount of knowledge. I quote, "In addition to the two paps, the summits of the massif include the highest points Cac Carn Beag (properly Cadha Carn Beag) and Cac Carn Mor (properly Cadha Carn Mor), which are mistaken names on two counts. The Beag (wee cairn) is in fact six metres higher than the Mor (big cairn). More seriously, the Cac is a corruption of Cadha, meaning slope, or path on a slope; Cac in Gaelic is connected with the Scots keech, known to the English as faeces. Hardly the sort of name, however mistaken, to set before a queen, especially Victoria, which is perhaps why the Balmoral royals were keen to encourage the name Lochnagar!"

That tells you all, possibly more, than you wanted to know.

I recommend the book very highly. It's answered a lot of my queries in past years.

Hope that helps.

Colin

Colin, I guessed you'd have skinny on such things. Thanks so much for replying and the reference.