Black Hillock

Rising above the eastern Grampians near Ballater, this rounded moorland summit offers a quiet, pathless alternative to the busier Cairngorm peaks. Its broad, heather-clad slopes provide an expansive sense of isolation, looking across the Girnock Burn towards the rugged, north-facing corries of Lochnagar.

• •The name is a literal English description of the hill's appearance, where 'black' refers to the dark, dense heather cover or the exposed peat common across the Mounth's moorland.
• •The summit offers an excellent vantage point for viewing the sprawling eastern Grampian mountains, specifically the grand corries of Lochnagar and the distant white dome of Beinn a' Bhuird.
• •The ascent is typical of the Aberdeenshire foothills, involving a mix of old estate tracks and pathless, heather-bashing terrain that demands solid navigation in poor visibility.
• •Calling a 548-metre peak a 'hillock' is a fine example of Scottish topographic modesty, usually voiced by someone who hasn't just spent an hour dragging their boots through the surrounding peat bogs.