Craig Veann

Rising above the remote Braes of Glenlivet near Tomintoul, this rounded, heathery Tump offers a quieter alternative to the high Cairngorm plateaus. The terrain is typical of the estate—trackless in places and managed for grouse—rewarding climbers with clear, expansive views across the rolling hills of the Glen Livet estate.

• •The name is likely an Anglicised form of the Gaelic Creag Bheann, meaning 'Crag of the Hills', reflecting its position among the rolling uplands of the northeast.
• •From the summit, the massive granite tors of Ben Avon are clearly visible to the south, appearing as distinct teeth on the horizon against the backdrop of the main Cairngorm massif.
• •The hill sits within the Glenlivet Estate, an area historically significant for illicit whisky distilling; the secluded burns and folds in the landscape once provided cover for dozens of hidden bothy stills.
• •Most walkers approach from the north via the tracks near Scalan, the site of a famous 18th-century 'heather' seminary where Catholic priests were once trained in secret.
• •Being a Tump in a region of Munros, the summit cairn is more likely to be occupied by a mountain hare than another hillwalker, offering a rare sense of Cairngorm solitude.