Carn Salachaidh

About Carn Salachaidh

Rising above the quiet reaches of Strathcarron in Sutherland, this rounded Graham offers a wild, solitary experience away from the busier Highland peaks. Its broad, heathery slopes require careful footwork through the peat hags but reward climbers with expansive, uninterrupted views across the Dornoch Firth and toward the distant, sharp profiles of the Assynt mountains.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Scottish Gaelic 'Càrn Salachaidh', which translates as 'cairn of the dirty place', a pragmatic reference to the boggy, peat-heavy ground that characterizes its lower slopes.
• •The summit provides an excellent vantage point for viewing the 'big' hills of Sutherland to the north and west, with the distinctive isolated bulk of Ben Klibreck and the massif of Ben More Assynt clearly visible on a clear day.
• •Walkers often approach the hill from the south via the remote glen of Strathcarron, sometimes combining it with the nearby, more rugged Carn Chuinneag for a long day in the hills.
• •Despite its modest height, the hill’s position on the edge of the Highland 'great wilderness' means it remains one of the quieter Grahams, frequently bypassed by those heading further north to the Munros.
• •If you find yourself knee-deep in a Sutherland bog during the ascent, remember that the Gaelic speakers who named the hill 'the dirty place' were giving you a very literal warning.