Beinn a' Chliabhain

Rising sharply above Glen Rosa on the Isle of Arran, this rugged granite peak offers a more intimate perspective of the island’s jagged interior than its loftier neighbours. The ascent involves navigating steep, boulder-strewn slopes, rewarding walkers with dramatic, close-up views of the Rosa Pinnacle and the formidable granite walls of Cir Mhòr.

• •The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic 'Beinn a' Chliabhain', meaning 'Hill of the Cradle' or 'Hill of the Little Basket', likely referring to the hollowed-out shape of the corrie on its eastern flank.
• •The summit provides a front-row seat to the 'Three Brothers', a series of jagged granite buttresses on the western side of the Goatfell range that are iconic to Arran's skyline.
• •It is frequently climbed as part of a high-level horseshoe around Glen Rosa, a route that avoids the busier tourist tracks while traversing some of the most dramatic mountain architecture in the Firth of Clyde.
• •The hill is composed of coarse 'Northern Granite', which has weathered into the distinctive grippy slabs and blocky tors that define the ridges of northern Arran.
• •Despite being physically connected to the island's most famous peak, the lack of a maintained path ensures the summit remains a quiet alternative for those who find the main route up Goatfell a little too crowded.