Fells/A' Chailleach
Scotland

A' Chailleach

902M
2960FT
Rank
61st Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Nearest Town
Kinlochleven

About A' Chailleach

Sitting high in the Grampian Mountains, this 902-metre peak offers a rugged, high-plateau experience characteristic of the Scottish Highlands. Classified as both a Hump and a Tump, it possesses enough prominence to guarantee a sense of isolation and expansive views over the surrounding glens and neighboring Grampian giants.

Key Statistics

Rank
61st Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Nearest Town
Kinlochleven
Prominence
?
137.9m
Geology
You’re walking over ancient lava flows and hardened magma. This rugged terrain also features layers of clay and lime-rich rock from a prehistoric seabed.

Did You Know?

  • •The name is Scottish Gaelic for 'The Old Woman' or 'The Hag.' In Highland mythology, the Cailleach is a powerful creator deity and the personification of winter, said to have shaped the Scottish landscape with a magic hammer.
  • •At 902.1 metres, the summit sits just shy of the 914.4-metre (3,000ft) threshold for Munro status, which often results in a far more tranquil atmosphere than is found on the busier 'bagged' peaks nearby.
  • •The summit provides a superb vantage point for looking across the broad Spey Valley toward the high, often snow-flecked plateaus of the Cairngorms to the east.
  • •The hill's classification as a Hump signifies that it has a prominence of at least 100 metres, ensuring that the final approach to the cairn feels like reaching a distinct and significant high point.
  • •True to its name, the 'Old Woman' is famously temperamental; she has a habit of wrapping herself in a thick, grey shawl of mist just as walkers arrive to claim the view.

Find It

OS Grid Reference
NN189579
Latitude
56.6780°N
Longitude
4.9575°W

Explore Further

Scotland Guide
Editorial guide for this region

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NN189579
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