It drains the north-eastern area of the Cairngorm Mountains and is largely contained within the Cairngorms National Park The source of the River Avon is conventionally said to be Loch A'an situated between Cairn Gorm and Ben Macdui (Gaelic: Beinn MacDhuibh).

[4] Loch A'an itself collects headwaters from a number of burns on these two mountains.

[6] Some authorities state that, in common with various other examples of Avon, the river takes its name from the Scottish Gaelic abhainn meaning 'river' or 'stream'.

The word, in common with the Welsh afon, is thought to originate from an early Indo-European root ab or aub.

[10] Whatever the exact derivation, all agree that the name has the tautological meaning of 'river river'.