Meall Dearg

Rising to 524 metres in the northern Highlands near Assynt, this modest summit offers a straightforward ascent across rough moorland and heather. The Gaelic name translates as 'Red Hill', likely describing the colour of weathered Torridonian sandstone or iron-rich soils found across this ancient landscape. A quiet, unfrequented peak classified as both a Dodd and Tump.

• •The name Meall Dearg derives from Scottish Gaelic, meaning 'Red Hill' or 'Red Rounded Hill', a common place name across Scotland typically referring to reddish rock, soil, or vegetation characteristic of the terrain.
• •At least a dozen summits across Scotland share the name Meall Dearg, making it one of the most repeated hill names in the country—a testament to the widespread occurrence of red-hued geological features in the Scottish landscape.
• •The grid reference NC297341 places this hill in the Assynt area, renowned for its distinctive geology where ancient Lewisian gneiss, among the oldest rocks on Earth at over 3 billion years old, underpins much of the terrain.