Meall nan Damh

Rising above the Applecross peninsula in the Northwest Highlands, this rugged Marilyn offers a wilder, quieter alternative to the nearby giants. The terrain is characteristically rocky and peat-haggish, rewarding those who navigate its pathless slopes with a stunning panoramic view across the Inner Sound to the Isle of Skye and the Cuillin.

• •Derived from the Scottish Gaelic Meall nan Damh, the name translates as ‘Hill of the Stags’, marking the area's long history as a deer forest.
• •From its summit, you gain a sharp perspective of the Torridon giants across the water, specifically the tiered sandstone terraces of Liathach and the peaks of Beinn Alligin.
• •Looking west, the hill provides a clear sightline over the islands of Raasay and Rona towards the jagged horizon of the Black Cuillin on the Isle of Skye.
• •It is often climbed from the high point of the Bealach na Bà road, a route that avoids much of the arduous bog-hopping required when approaching from the coast at Kalnakill.
• •Despite being named for stags, you are significantly more likely to find your boots claimed by a deep peat hag than you are to spot a royal hart on the lower slopes.