Carn Choire Riabhaich

Rising from the remote moorlands between Tomintoul and the Cabrach, this modest Grampian summit offers a quiet, pathless experience for those seeking Highland solitude. Its broad, heather-clad slopes represent the typical character of the eastern hills, providing a steady climb to a top that feels far more isolated than its height suggests.

• •The name Càrn Coire Riabhaich is Scottish Gaelic, translating as the 'Cairn of the Brindled Corrie.' The term 'riabhach' (brindled or dappled) usually refers to the mottled appearance of the heather and scree found within the hill's northern hollow.
• •The summit sits on the historic boundary between Banffshire and Aberdeenshire, marking a transition point between the higher Cairngorm plateaus and the lower, rolling hills of the north-east.
• •From the top, there is a particularly clear perspective of the massive eastern flanks of Ben Avon, where the distinctive granite tors of the high plateau are easily visible on a clear day.
• •It is frequently climbed as a northern extension to a circuit of the nearby Corbett, Geal Charn, though the ground between them can be exceptionally peat-heavy and demanding after wet weather.
• •Despite its classification as both a Hump and a Tump, the hill remains largely overlooked by everyone except the most dedicated list-tickers and local sheep.