The Boys' Brigade Mountaineering Club

Cairn Toul is the 4th highest peak in the British Isles. It towers over the Lairig Ghru pass to its east. It is the shapeliest peak in the high Cairmgorms, overlooking three steep-sided corries to the north and east of the summit. It is quite difficult to access, requiring a round trip of roughly 20 miles to and from any of the nearest places that cars can be parked.

See its entries on Walkhighlands or Wikipedia or view it from above on Google Earth.

Cairn Toul is an anglicisation of Càrn an t-Sabhail (the S is not pronounced, after an "an t-" in Gaelic). Cairn is an anglicisation of Càrn, which in North East Scotland, does not imply a rocky or cairn-like peak, but it is best translated as just Peak, Mountain or Hill. The change from Càrn to Cairn is quite common in North East Scotland and took place a long time ago.

The prefix "an t-" is the definite article. In Braeriach, am was said to be the definite article, but in Gaelic, whether am or an or "an t-" is used depends on the first letter(s) of the next word. Sabhail is the genitive form of Sabhal meaning Barn. So Càrn an t-Sabhail can be translated as Barn Mountain. This might be because from certain viewpoints, the mountain might appear to be barn-shaped.  This translatiion is backed up by the peak being sometimes known locally as Sabhal Beinn Macduibh (The Barn of Ben Macdui).

Another theory, that the name may have originally been Càrn an t-Seallaidh (Peak of Prospect), can probably be discounted, as it is not compatible with local pronunciation.