Ben Griam Beg

About Ben Griam Beg

Rising abruptly from the flat, boggy expanses of the Sutherland Flow Country, this steep-sided Marilyn is home to Scotland’s highest prehistoric hillfort. The ascent over rough, trackless heather is demanding, but the summit provides a remarkable vantage point over the vast, pool-studded peatlands towards the distant peaks of Caithness.

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• •Derived from the Scottish Gaelic Beinn Ghriama Beag, the name is generally interpreted as the 'small sunny hill'. Despite its modest height compared to the Munros, its total isolation in the surrounding moorland makes it a formidable landmark.
• •The summit plateau is enclosed by the remains of a massive Iron Age hillfort, the highest of its kind in Scotland. Extensive drystone walls still trace the perimeter, suggesting it served as a significant prehistoric refuge or seasonal settlement overlooking the straths.
• •It is typically climbed alongside its larger neighbor, Ben Griam Mor. The terrain between the two is a classic Sutherland 'Flow,' characterized by deep peat hags and an intricate network of 'dubh lochans'—small, dark pools that create a shimmering mosaic when viewed from the ridges above.
• •The summit offers a specific perspective on the scale of the North West Highlands; to the east, the lone cone of Morven and the ridge of Scaraben dominate the Caithness horizon, while the Sutherland interior reveals the lonely reaches of the River Helmsdale.
• •While the name translates to 'small,' the relentless vertical pull through trackless heather from the Kinbrace side suggests the original Gaelic namers had a somewhat optimistic view of what constitutes a minor stroll.