Cnapan Nathraichean

Tucked away in the remote Mar Lodge Estate, this high, rounded summit offers a sense of profound isolation. Rising to 824 metres near the borders of Lochaber and Aberdeenshire, its heathery slopes provide a wild, trackless ascent for those seeking solitude far from the crowded Munro summits of the Cairngorms.

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic 'Cnapan', meaning a small hill or knob, and 'Nathraichean', meaning adders; however, the high, windswept terrain is a more likely home for ptarmigan and mountain hares than snakes.
• •Positioned in the vast, roadless gap between the Geldie Burn and Glen Feshie, it sits within one of the most remote tracts of land in Scotland, often requiring a 15-mile round trip cycle or walk from the Linn of Dee just to reach its base.
• •The summit provides a unique perspective on the southern Cairngorms, looking north across the upper reaches of the River Dee towards the massive silhouettes of Bod an Deamhain and The Devil's Point.
• •If you find yourself standing on this specific summit, you have either strayed significantly off the path to the neighbouring Munros of An Sgarsoch and Carn an Fhidhleir, or you are a Tump-bagger of the most dedicated variety.