Ben Gulabin

Rising steeply above the Spittal of Glenshee, this compact Corbett offers a direct and rewarding ascent. Its position on the A93 ensures a high-level start, leading quickly to a broad, grassy summit ridge. It serves as a perfect short day out or a gateway to the wilder Mounth plateaus further north.

• •The name derives from the Gaelic Beinn Gulubain, which translates to ‘Hill of the Beak’. This likely refers to the sharp, beak-like profile the hill presents when viewed from the south in Glen Shee.
• •Despite its steep southern face, the ascent is greatly simplified by a well-maintained estate track that zig-zags up the slope from the Spittal of Glenshee, making it one of the most straightforward Corbetts to bag in the region.
• •The summit provides an excellent vantage point for surveying the Cairnwell Pass to the west, offering a clear perspective of the three Munros—The Cairnwell, Càrn Aosda, and Càrn a' Gheòidh—that dominate the local skyline.
• •This hill marks the southern gateway to the Mounth, a vast upland area that historically presented a formidable barrier to travel between the Lowlands and the Dee Valley.
• •The lower slopes near the Spittal were historically significant as a meeting point for cattle drovers resting their herds before the arduous climb over the Cairnwell Pass toward Braemar.
• •The proximity of the A93 means you can be standing on a Corbett summit within an hour of leaving your car, provided your legs can tolerate the uncompromisingly direct nature of the initial climb.