Scotland
Cairn Culchavie
726M
2382FT
About Cairn Culchavie
Located in the rolling Braes of Glenlivet near Tomintoul, this heather-clad Tump offers a quieter alternative to the high Cairngorm plateaus. The rounded summit provides a commanding perspective over the Ladder Hills and northward toward the distinctive profile of Ben Rinnes, making it a rewarding objective for a short Scottish excursion.
Key Statistics
Rank
131st Highest in The Cairngorms
Parent Range
The Cairngorms
Prominence
?
44m
Nearest Town
Aberdeenshire
Geology
You are walking over hard, crystal-rich stone and striped layers of ancient sand and mud, cut through by tough, light-colored igneous rock.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NJ200070
Latitude
57.1469°N
Longitude
3.3238°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely stems from the Gaelic Càrn Cùl a' Bhàthaich, meaning the 'cairn at the back of the byre' (cowshed), a reference to its proximity to the upland farmsteads in the glen below.
- •The hill sits within the Glenlivet Estate, an area historically significant for illicit whisky distilling; the secluded folds of the Braes provided perfect cover for 18th-century smugglers and their hidden stills.
- •The summit offers a particularly clear perspective of the massive northern corries of Ben Avon and Beinn a' Bhuird, which dominate the horizon to the south.
- •Geologically, the hill is part of the vast Cairngorm granite pluton, an igneous mass formed around 427 million years ago that was originally buried at depths of up to seven kilometres before being unroofed by erosion.
- •At 726 metres, the hill is high enough to be caught in a genuine Highland gale, but just low enough to be completely ignored by the crowds heading for the nearby Munros.