Scotland
A' Chioch
893M
2931FT
About A' Chioch
Situated on the southern fringes of the Monadhliath, this prominent spur provides a sharper profile than the surrounding rolling plateaus. Rising above the upper reaches of the River Spey near Newtonmore, the ascent follows stony ridges to a summit offering clear vistas across to the impressive cliffs of Creag Meagaidh.
Key Statistics
Rank
39th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Prominence
?
68m
Nearest Town
Highland
Geology
The ground beneath you consists of hard, sandy rock and fine-grained granite that once cooled from molten rock deep underground.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN794843
Latitude
56.9342°N
Longitude
3.9835°W
Did You Know?
- •In Scottish Gaelic, A' Chìoch translates to 'the breast,' a descriptive term used throughout the Highlands for hills with a distinctively conical or pointed profile. This summit is notably steeper and more defined than the high, mossy plateaus typical of the wider Monadhliath range.
- •While often treated as a subsidiary of the nearby Geal Charn, its position on the southern edge of the range provides an unblocked view across the Spey valley to the peaks of the Ben Alder forest and the notched skyline of the Grey Corries.
- •The hill is most commonly climbed from the south via Garva Bridge, which provides access to the historic Corrieyairack Pass—an 18th-century military route built by General Wade to connect Dalwhinnie with Fort Augustus.
- •Standing at 893 metres high, it is a significant Tump that missed the 914-metre Munro cut-off by only 21 metres, a margin that ensures the summit remains significantly quieter than its more famous neighbours.
- •The approach from the south requires crossing the Allt a' Chaorainn; depending on recent rainfall, this transition can range from a simple hop over stones to a very cold, waist-deep lesson in Highland hydrology.