Scotland
Carn Dearg North Top
770M
2526FT
About Carn Dearg North Top
Situated in the remote moorland of the Gaick Forest north of Pitlochry, this rounded summit is defined by its wild, peat-scarred character. While the ascent over heathery slopes is often a damp affair, it offers a stark, lonely perspective of the Drumochter Hills and the massive, rolling plateaus of the central Grampians.
Key Statistics
Rank
119th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Prominence
?
38m
Nearest Town
Perth and Kinross
Geology
You are walking on layered rocks formed from hardened sands and muds. These slopes feature a rugged mix of lime-rich stones and dark, carbon-heavy minerals.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NO036731
Latitude
56.8393°N
Longitude
3.5817°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Càrn Dearg is Gaelic for 'Red Cairn,' a common Highland descriptive usually referring to the presence of granite or red-tinted scree that colors the slopes.
- •This hill occupies the high ground of the Gaick Forest, a vast deer forest and former hunting estate famous for its isolation and the dramatic, steep-sided troughs of its glens.
- •A common approach begins from the A9 near Dalnacardoch, following estate tracks that serve the remote lodges before striking out across pathless, often waterlogged moorland.
- •The summit provides a clear, uncrowded vantage point for viewing the sprawling mass of the Atholl hills to the east and the prominent Munros of Sgairneach Mhòr and Beinn Udlamain to the west.
- •Given there are dozens of hills named Carn Dearg in Scotland, this one is often distinguished solely by its height or its 'North Top' suffix to prevent confused walkers from ending up in the wrong glen.