Scotland
Carn Dearg (NW) (old GR)
1214M
3983FT
About Carn Dearg (NW) (old GR)
Often dismissed as a mere shoulder of Ben Nevis, this 1214m giant is actually higher than any mountain in the UK outside the Nevis range. It offers the best views of the North Face cliffs without the 'summit selfie' queue found at the trig point.
Key Statistics
Rank
6th Highest in Fort William to Loch Treig
Parent Range
Lochaber
Prominence
?
5m
Nearest Town
Fort William
Geology
Highland Granite & Schist
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN158721
Latitude
56.8038°N
Longitude
5.0184°W
Did You Know?
- •It sits at the northwestern edge of the Ben Nevis plateau, overlooking the terrifyingly steep drops of the Castle Ridge and the Allt a' Mhuilinn basin.
- •The 'old GR' suffix indicates a historical mapping correction, reminding us that even the most massive mountains once struggled to stay still on a cartographer's grid.
- •Though technically a 'Munro Top' and not a Munro in its own right, it remains one of the highest and most imposing points of land in the British Isles.
- •The name translates from Gaelic as 'Red Cairn,' though in the standard Highland weather, it is usually 'Invisible Cairn' or 'Cairn Covered in Horizontal Sleet.'
- •Navigating the plateau to find this specific point in a whiteout is a great way to discover that your expensive GPS and your survival instincts are both equally prone to mid-hike panic.