Cranstackie

About Cranstackie

Rising steeply above the remote Sutherland landscape, this rugged Corbett is defined by its massive summit blockfields of Cambrian sandstone. It offers a wild, rock-strewn ridge walk with an impressive western escarpment, providing an atmospheric link to its neighbour, Beinn Spionnaidh, and commanding views across the deep waters of Loch Eriboll.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is a curious hybrid of Gaelic and Old Norse; Crann Stachach is often translated as the 'peaky hill of the tree,' though 'crann' likely refers to a beam-like horizontal ridge, and 'stac' reflects the Norse influence common in Sutherland's coastal topography.
• •The summit is famous for its massive blockfields of Cambrian quartz-arenite. While it looks similar to the white quartzite of nearby Foinaven, this rock is generally more stable and less glassy, making the final scramble to the cairn feel slightly more secure underfoot.
• •It is almost always climbed in tandem with its sister Corbett, Beinn Spionnaidh. The two hills form a high-level horseshoe around the bowl of Coire an t-Srathaid, offering a direct line of sight down the length of Loch Eriboll.
• •On a clear day, the summit provides an exceptional perspective of the 'Great Wilderness' to the south, specifically the jagged, multi-summit ridge of Foinaven and the distinctive stepped tiers of Arkle.
• •While the name Crann Stachach hints at a 'hill of the tree,' the reality at 801 metres is a landscape of barren rock where the only thing taller than a blade of moss is the summit cairn.