Scotland
Carn Dearg
797M
2616FT
About Carn Dearg
Rising steeply above the head of Glen Roy, this substantial whale-backed hill offers a quiet perspective on the Lochaber giants. Its broad, grassy slopes lead to a high plateau where the view across to the massive Grey Corries and Ben Nevis is particularly striking.
Key Statistics
Rank
26th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Data coming soon
Prominence
?
94
Nearest Town
Highland
Geology
You are walking on the Altnaharra Psammite Formation. It consists of psammite, a durable, hardened sandstone that forms the solid foundation of this mountain.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NC377389
Latitude
58.3088°N
Longitude
4.7717°W
Did You Know?
- •The name translates from Scottish Gaelic as ‘Red Cairn’. While a common title across the Highlands, here it likely refers to the seasonal colour of the vegetation or the weathered hue of the stones scattered across its expansive, rounded summit.
- •This hill provides an exceptional vantage point for studying the 'Parallel Roads' of Glen Roy. These perfectly horizontal terraces are not man-made, but are the ancient shorelines of a lake once held in place by a massive glacier blocking the valley mouth during the last Ice Age.
- •The summit offers a commanding view of the Nevis Range from an unusual perspective, looking directly across at the steep northern faces of the Grey Corries and the massive bulk of Aonach Mòr.
- •While the 'Parallel Roads' in the glen below look like a well-engineered highway from a distance, they offer no assistance to the walker; you will find no such shortcuts on the final, steep pull to the summit.