Scotland
Carn Sgumain
417M
1368FT
About Carn Sgumain
Rising above the Spey Valley near Grantown-on-Spey, this modest moorland summit offers a quiet escape into the northern Grampians. The terrain is typical of the Cromdale hills—heavy heather and peat hags—rewarding the climb with clear, expansive perspectives across to the high, often snow-dusted plateaus of the main Cairngorm massif.
Key Statistics
Rank
466th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Prominence
?
110m
Nearest Town
Quilichan
Geology
The ground beneath you is the Flichity Semipelite, a mudstone transformed by extreme heat. This process partially melted and swirled the rock deep within the Earth.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NH879409
Latitude
57.4445°N
Longitude
3.8694°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Gaelic Càrn Sgumain, where 'Càrn' signifies a rocky hill and 'Sgumain' refers to a stack, a clump, or a bundle of hay, likely describing the hill's rounded, heaped profile.
- •The summit is a primary vantage point for viewing the 'Back of Cromdale,' looking out over the remote moors that stretch toward the Dorback Burn and the Braes of Glenlivet.
- •From the 417-metre top, the view south-west is dominated by the massive northern corries of the Cairngorms, with the distinctive pyramid of Bynack More standing out clearly on a fine day.
- •While officially classified as a Hump, the thick heather on the approach ensures that your legs will feel as though you have tackled something significantly more substantial by the time you reach the top.