Creag a' Chail

About Creag a' Chail

Rising above the southern reaches of Fort Augustus, this bulky Monadhliath summit offers a quieter alternative to the Great Glen's busier trails. Its broad, heathery slopes lead to a trig point with commanding views across the water to Loch Ness and the distant, jagged silhouettes of the Lochaber peaks.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is Gaelic, where 'Creag' means crag and 'Càl' typically translates to cabbage or kale. While an unusual moniker for a high hill, it likely refers to the presence of wild plants or a specific type of lush grazing found on its lower slopes.
• •The hill is most easily approached from the Corrieyairack Pass to the south, the historic military road constructed by General Wade in 1731 to facilitate troop movements through the Highlands.
• •The summit offers a distinct perspective of the Great Glen fault line, looking directly down the length of Loch Ness toward the village of Fort Augustus.
• •Hikers often combine this ascent with the nearby Corbett, Carn a' Chuilinn, which sits approximately three kilometres to the east across a high, undulating plateau of peat hags and heather.
• •Despite the name suggesting a productive vegetable patch, the summit offers nothing in the way of greens, consisting almost entirely of wind-blasted heather and stone.