Black Hill

A broad-topped Donald in the Carsphairn Hills, rising to 568 metres above the Southern Uplands. The summit sits in rough moorland country typical of this remote range, with expansive views across Galloway's interior hills. Often climbed alongside neighbouring Donalds in a circuit from the Polmaddy area, making a satisfying day on generally pathless terrain.

• •The name 'Black Hill' is straightforward Old English, describing the dark appearance of the hill when viewed from a distance—likely referring to the peat-stained moorland and heather that dominates its slopes, a characteristic shared by several other similarly-named summits across Scotland and northern England.
• •The Carsphairn Hills form one of the most isolated hill ranges in southern Scotland, with Black Hill lying at the heart of a vast tract of moorland between the Glenkens to the east and the Water of Deugh valley to the west.
• •Despite its modest height, Black Hill qualifies as a Donald (a Scottish hill between 2,000 and 2,999 feet) and is one of several summits in the Carsphairn range that reward those willing to tackle pathless navigation across peat hags and tussocky grass.
• •The hill is most commonly approached from Polmaddy in the north, where a track provides initial access before walkers strike out across open moorland—terrain that demands confident compass work in poor visibility.