Scotland
Creag an Amalaidh
261M
856FT
About Creag an Amalaidh
Rising steeply above the A9 near Golspie, this modest Sutherland summit punches well above its weight for views. Its position overlooking the Mound and Loch Fleet makes it a strategic coastal vantage point. Expect a short, heather-clad pull to reach the trig pillar on a crest that feels surprisingly isolated from the interior highlands.
Key Statistics
Rank
500th Highest in Region
Parent Range
North West Highlands
Prominence
?
154m
Nearest Town
Cambusmore
Geology
You are walking on the Langwell Conglomerate. This rock resembles natural concrete, made of rounded pebbles and stones cemented together over time.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NH758975
Latitude
57.9496°N
Longitude
4.0987°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is Gaelic in origin, where 'Creag' means crag and 'Amalaidh' refers to a swingle-tree—the wooden crossbar used in a horse harness—likely describing the specific shape of the ridge.
- •From the summit, there is a clear, uninterrupted perspective of the Mound, the impressive 19th-century embankment designed by Thomas Telford to carry the road across the Fleet estuary.
- •The view to the northeast is dominated by the neighboring Ben Bhraggie and the massive monument to the Duke of Sutherland, providing a sense of scale to the surrounding coastal landscape.
- •Despite its low elevation, its 171 metres of prominence ensures it remains a Marilyn, standing significantly apart from the higher inland hills found further west toward Rogart.
- •It is a hill that provides all the coastal drama of a Highland peak with none of the logistical commitment, usually requiring more effort to find a safe place to park than to actually reach the top.