Carn Dearg

Standing at 521 metres in the Cairngorms foothills, this modest summit occupies quiet moorland east of the River Avon. The name translates from Gaelic as 'red hill', likely referring to the russet tones of heather and exposed granite. A straightforward ascent rewarding those who venture beyond the higher, better-known peaks nearby.

• •The name Carn Dearg derives from Scottish Gaelic meaning 'red hill' or 'red cairn', a common toponym in the Highlands describing hills with reddish granite, iron-stained rock, or the deep russet of autumnal heather cover.
• •This hill sits within the expansive Ladder Hills group, a scatter of modest summits between Strathavon and Glenlivet that see far fewer boots than the Cairngorm plateau to the west.
• •The grid reference places it roughly equidistant between Tomintoul and Grantown-on-Spey, in country better known for whisky distilleries than hillwalking traffic.