Scotland
Carn a' Chuaille
566M
1857FT
About Carn a' Chuaille
Rising above the historic Corrieyairack Pass, this rounded Monadhliath summit offers a quiet, heathery escape from the busier Great Glen. It is a land of expansive moorland and peat hags, where the reward is a vast sense of isolation and a clear perspective of the high Creag Meagaidh cliffs across the valley to the south.
Key Statistics
Rank
291st Highest in Region
Parent Range
Data coming soon
Prominence
?
20
Nearest Town
Highland
Geology
You are walking on layers of transformed sandstone and clay. These were fused with ancient molten rock and reshaped by intense heat into tough, banded patterns.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NH865266
Latitude
57.3163°N
Longitude
3.8852°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Càrn a' Chuaille is Gaelic for 'Cairn of the Pole' or 'Cairn of the Club'. This likely refers to a wooden marker post once used to guide travellers through these featureless rolling hills, particularly in winter conditions.
- •The hill sits directly north of the Corrieyairack Pass, part of General Wade’s military road network built in the 1730s. While the pass is a famous through-route for walkers and cyclists, the summit of Carn a’ Chuaille is rarely visited by comparison.
- •From the summit, you gain a panoramic view of the Monadhliath plateau, including the neighbouring peaks of Gairbeinn and Corrieyairack Hill, as well as the deep trench of the Great Glen to the west.
- •The surrounding terrain is classic Monadhliath: a high-altitude wilderness of heather and deep peat hags that requires competent navigation, especially when the cloud drops low over the plateau.
- •Navigating this landscape in a thick mist is an excellent way to test both your compass skills and your patience with the Scottish peat hag.