A magnetic recording medium which is capable of effectively preventing a surface thereof from being contaminated, and is capable of preventing a contaminant thereon from adhering (being transferred) to a magnetic head, and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus including the magnetic recording medium are provided,A carbon protective layer of the magnetic recording medium is nitrided, and as a lubricant a compound A expressed by the following General Formula (1) and a compound B expressed by the following General Formula (2) are mixed and used. R1—C6H4OCH2CH(OH)CH2OCH2—R2—CH2OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH  (1) CH2(OH)CH(OH)CH2OCH2CF2CF2(OCF2CF2CF2)mOCF2CF2CH2OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH  (2)