Carn Odhar

Rising above the quiet slopes of Easter Aberchalder, this bulky Monadhliath summit sits just shy of Corbett status. Its broad, heathery plateau offers a wilderness feel typical of the range, providing a sprawling vantage point over the Great Glen and the distant, jagged peaks of Glen Affric to the west.

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic Càrn Odhar, which translates as the 'dun' or 'sallow-coloured stony hill,' a reference to the muted, brownish-grey tones of the grasses and heather that cloak its broad summit.
• •Positioned on the northern fringes of the Monadhliath mountains, the summit provides an exceptional perspective across the Great Glen, where the distinctive humped profile of Meall Fuar-mhonaidh stands out prominently on the far side of Loch Ness.
• •Though it falls short of being a Corbett by roughly ten metres, its relative isolation ensures a far quieter experience than the more frequented Munros found further south in the same range.
• •Scotland contains dozens of hills named Carn Odhar; bagging this specific one requires checking your grid references carefully to ensure you haven't accidentally climbed a namesake in the Cairngorms or Perthshire.