Bin of Cullen

About Bin of Cullen

Rising abruptly from the Moray coastal plain, this distinctive conical Marilyn serves as a prominent landmark for walkers and sailors. While the approach involves navigating winding forestry tracks, the heather-clad summit provides an expansive panorama across the Moray Firth toward the distant, sharp profiles of the Caithness peaks.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic 'Am Binnean', meaning the small peak or pinnacle. It is a common descriptive term in the north-east of Scotland for hills that stand in conspicuous isolation from their neighbours.
• •A large stone cairn traditionally marked the summit until it mysteriously vanished in 2002. No explanation was ever found for the removal of the stones, leaving the highest point noticeably more level than in previous decades.
• •From the summit, the view north-west across the water is exceptionally clear, often revealing the distant silhouettes of Morven and Scaraben in Caithness, over fifty miles away.
• •The hill's prominence makes it a primary navigational marker for the Moray coast; it is clearly visible from as far east as Longman Hill and as far west as the coastal town of Lossiemouth.
• •While its height of 320 metres might seem modest, its isolation gives it enough 'drop' on all sides to qualify as a Marilyn, a status many much taller mountains in the Highlands fail to achieve.
• •The hill has long served as a natural lighthouse for the fishing fleets of Cullen and Findochty, assuming they can actually see it through a thick North Sea haar.