Carn Macsna

Rising to 525 metres in the Monadhliath Mountains south of Loch Ness, this forested hill overlooks the upper reaches of Strathdearn. The summit, crowned with commercial plantings, offers limited views but provides a quiet objective in an often-overlooked corner of the Central Highlands between the Great Glen and Speyside.

• •The name Carn Macsna derives from Scottish Gaelic, with 'carn' meaning a cairn or rocky hill, though the second element 'Macsna' remains obscure and may refer to a personal name or family association now lost to record.
• •The hill sits within the Monadhliath range, a name meaning 'grey mountains' in Gaelic, reflecting the rounded, heather-clad character of these ancient hills which contrast sharply with the jagged Cairngorms to the east.
• •Commercial forestry now covers much of the hill's lower and middle slopes, part of extensive plantations established across Strathdearn in the mid-20th century that have significantly altered the landscape walkers encounter today.