Scotland
A' Chailleach
902M
2960FT
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
Prominence
?
137.9m
Nearest Town
Kinlochleven
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.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN189579
Latitude
56.6780°N
Longitude
4.9575°W
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.