Scotland
Carn Icean Duibhe
810M
2657FT
About Carn Icean Duibhe
Rising from the peaty plateaus of the Monadhliath, this rounded, heather-clad summit offers a quieter perspective than the nearby Munros. Accessible from Kingussie via the Allt a' Mhuilinn, the terrain is typically rugged and boggy, rewarding walkers with clear views south across the Spey Valley toward the high Cairngorm massif.
Key Statistics
Rank
84th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Prominence
?
70m
Nearest Town
Highland
Geology
You are walking on the Loch Laggan Psammite Formation. It is a hard, sand-like rock filled with tiny, shiny flakes of mica.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NH710115
Latitude
57.1761°N
Longitude
4.1354°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is Gaelic, likely meaning 'The Cairn of Little Dark John' (Càrn Icean Duibhe), with 'icean' serving as a diminutive form of the name Iain.
- •It is frequently visited by those descending from the Munro A' Chailleach, offering a more direct high-level route back toward the Allt a' Mhuilinn than the standard valley path.
- •The summit provides an unobstructed view across Strathspey to the massive western escarpment of the Cairngorms, featuring the prominent peaks of Sgoran Dubh Mòr and Sgòr Gaoith.
- •In classic Monadhliath fashion, the ground here remains stubbornly saturated year-round; the summit cairn often feels less like a destination and more like a dry island in a sea of peat hags.