Creag a' Chaillich

About Creag a' Chaillich

Rising above the Spey Valley near Aviemore, this heathery Monadhliath summit offers a quieter alternative to the high Cairngorm plateaus. Its broad, rounded shoulders provide an excellent vantage point for surveying the Great Glen to the west and the massive granite walls of the Braeriach massif across the strath.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is Gaelic, translating as the 'Crag of the Old Woman.' In Highland folklore, the Cailleach is a divine hag and creator deity associated with the weather and winter, often said to be personified in prominent or rugged rock formations.
• •The summit offers a textbook profile of the northern Cairngorm corries across the valley. The view is dominated by the deep cleft of the Lairig Ghru and the sprawling, high-altitude plateaus of Braeriach and Sgor an Lochain Uaine.
• •This hill is typically accessed from Glen Banchor near Newtonmore. While it lacks the stature of larger neighbors, its position on the southern edge of the Monadhliath range provides an excellent sense of the scale of the Spey valley.
• •Despite a name suggesting a sharp, craggy profile, the terrain is dominated by gentle slopes and peat; the 'Old Woman' of the Monadhliath has clearly traded her sharp edges for a softer, heather-clad retirement.