Carn Chuinneag

About Carn Chuinneag

Rising above the quiet glens of Easter Ross, this remote twin-peaked Corbett offers a rugged day out from Ardgay. Its stony slopes and distinctive granite profile stand apart from the peat hags of the surrounding moors, providing an expansive vantage point over the Dornoch Firth and the wilds of Sutherland.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic Càrn Chuinneag, which translates as 'Cairn of the Milking Pail'. This refers to the distinctively shaped, bowl-like dip sitting between the mountain's two summits.
• •Geologically, the hill is an anomaly in the region; while much of the surrounding landscape is Moine schist, the summit of Carn Chuinneag is composed of a distinctive pinkish granite that provides firmer, rockier terrain than the local peat moors.
• •The summit offers an exceptional 360-degree panorama of the Far North, including the jagged silhouette of Ben More Assynt and Conival to the northwest, and the coastal waters of the Dornoch Firth to the east.
• •Due to the long approach through Gleann Mòr, many walkers find a mountain bike essential for the first six miles of estate track to avoid a tedious trek before the actual climbing begins.
• •Being a solitary Corbett without any immediate neighbours to 'bundle' into a single trip, the summit is usually blissfully quiet, visited only by those with no interest in a rushed itinerary.