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This article is about a mountain range in Scotland; for other uses see: Grampians.

The Cairngorms from Beinn a' Ghlò.

The Grampian Mountains or Grampians (Am Monadh in Gaelic) are one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland.

The Grampians extend southwest to northeast between the Highland Boundary Fault and Gleann Mòr (the Great Glen), occupying almost half of the land-area of Scotland. This includes the Cairngorms and the Lochaber hills. The range includes Ben Nevis (the highest point in the British Isles at 1,344 metres above sea level) and Ben Macdui (the second highest at 1,309 metres).

The mountains are composed of granite, gneiss, marble, schists and quartzite. The other major mountain ranges in Scotland are the Northwest Highlands and the Southern Uplands.

A number of rivers and stream rise in the Grampians: the Tay, the Spey, the Cowie Water, the Burn of Muchalls, the Burn of Pheppie, the Burn of Elsick, the Don, the Dee and the Esk.^[1] The area is generally sparsely populated.

The name Grampians is believed to have first been applied to the mountain range in 1520 by the Scottish historian Hector Boece, an adaptation of the name Mons Graupius, recorded by the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus as the site of the defeat of the native Caledonians by Gnaeus Julius Agricola circa 83 AD. The actual location of Mons Graupius, literally 'the Graupian Mountain' (the element 'Graupian' is of unknown significance), is a matter of dispute among historians, though most favour a location within the Grampian massif, possibly at Raedykes, Megray Hill or Kempstone Hill.

In the Middle Ages, this locale was known as the Mounths, a name still held by a number of geographical features. Up until the 19th century, they were generally considered to be more than one range. This view is still held by many today, and they have no single name in the Scottish Gaelic language or Doric dialect of the Lowland Scots. In both languages, a number of names are used. Grampian Region was translated into Scots Gaelic as "Roinn a' Mhonaidh".

A noteworthy historic route connecting Aberdeen to southern coastal points was called the Causey Mounth, an elevated stonework structure in many locations because of the crossing of numerous bogs, most notably the Portlethen Moss. This route played numerous roles in the Covenanters history and Bishops' Wars since it formed the only passable and strategic connection from Dunnottar Castle to Muchalls Castle to the Bridge of Dee.

• MacGillonie

1. ^ United Kingdom Ordinance Survey Map, Landranger 45, Stonehaven and Banchory, 1:50,000 scale, 2002

Coordinates: 56°55′N, 4°00′W