Cairnsmore of Carsphairn

Dominating the skyline north of Carsphairn village, this bulky Corbett offers an expansive, high-altitude walk across broad, grassy ridges. While the terrain is often soft underfoot, the effort is rewarded by a massive summit shelter and a sense of immense scale typical of the loneliest corners of the Southern Uplands.

• •The name derives from the Gaelic 'Càrn Mòr', meaning large cairn, while Carsphairn comes from 'cors fearna', signifying a marshy place of alders.
• •It is the highest of a trio of hills in the region sharing the name Cairnsmore, standing taller than its namesakes at Fleet and Dee.
• •The summit views are remarkably far-reaching, encompassing the granite peaks of the Galloway Hills to the west and the distinctive silhouette of Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde.
• •A popular high-level circuit links the main summit with its neighbours, Beninner and Moor Brock, crossing the headwaters of the Water of Deugh.
• •The hill’s gentle, rounded profile ensures that the primary challenge is rarely the gradient, but rather the impressive depth and persistence of the local peat bogs.