Scotland
Craig Dhu
415M
1362FT
About Craig Dhu
Rising above the Stinchar Valley in South Ayrshire, this modest Southern Upland summit offers a rugged character typical of the Galloway fringes. Often accessed via tracks serving the Hadyard Hill wind farm, the top provides an excellent vantage point over the Firth of Clyde towards the distinctive profile of Ailsa Craig.
Key Statistics
Rank
383rd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Uplands
Prominence
?
107m
Nearest Town
Straiton
Geology
Craig Dhu is composed of the Blackcraig Formation, a durable type of muddy sandstone that once settled as sediment on an ancient seafloor.
Nearby Fells
Tairlaw Hill South Top
Doon of Waterhead
Tairlaw Hill
Craiglure
Fence of Knockdon
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NX425982
Latitude
55.2529°N
Longitude
4.4784°W
Did You Know?
- •Derived from the Scottish Gaelic Creag Dhubh, the name translates as 'Black Crag,' likely referencing the dark appearance of the rock outcrops or the heavy shadows cast across its steeper northern face.
- •The summit offers a clear, earned view across the sea to the granite dome of Ailsa Craig, while inland, the panorama includes the sprawling hills of the Galloway Forest Park and the distant peaks of the Merrick range.
- •Much of the lower approach is facilitated by access roads for the Hadyard Hill wind farm, providing a firm footing before the terrain transitions into the more traditional, tussocky moorland of the Southern Uplands.
- •Despite its status as a Hump, the primary challenge of the ascent is often less about the gradient and more about navigating the sheer visual scale of the neighbouring wind turbines.