An Socach

Tucked away in the remote wilds of Glencalvie Forest, this rounded summit offers a lonely, heather-clad experience far from the North Coast 500 crowds. Rising above the Allt na Beinne, its broad slopes require a long approach from Croick, rewarding walkers with a profound sense of Northern Highland isolation.

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic An Socach, meaning 'the snout' or 'the beak', a common descriptive term for a hill that projects forward like a prow from a larger upland area.
• •The approach from Croick passes the historic Croick Church, where messages etched into the window glass by displaced families during the 1845 Highland Clearances remain a poignant reminder of the glen's history.
• •The summit provides a clear, elevated perspective of the distinctive twin granite peaks of Carn Chuinneag to the east and the sprawling, whale-backed mass of Ben Wyvis to the south.
• •Given there are numerous hills named An Socach across the Highlands, successfully navigating to this specific one near Croick provides more satisfaction for the map-reader than for the list-ticker.