Scotland
Creag Bheag
487M
1598FT
About Creag Bheag
Overlooking Kingussie from the north, this rugged Marilyn provides a quintessential Highland experience without the long approach. The path winds through silver birch and heather to a rocky summit, offering an excellent vantage point over the Spey Valley and the ruined Ruthven Barracks sitting on the strath floor.
Key Statistics
Rank
405th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Prominence
?
159m
Nearest Town
Kingussie
Geology
You are walking on tough, shimmering rocks that began as ancient layers of mud and sand. These were squeezed and transformed into the banded formations beneath your feet.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NH745016
Latitude
57.0882°N
Longitude
4.0726°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic 'Creag Bheag', which translates simply as 'Little Crag'. It earns the title by sitting alongside its higher neighbour, Creag Mhòr, though it is arguably the more popular of the two for walkers due to its accessibility from the town center.
- •Despite its modest height of under 500 metres, the summit is a prime spot for viewing the Cairngorm giants; on a clear day, the deep V-shaped notch of the Lairig Ghru is clearly visible slicing through the high plateau to the east.
- •The hill forms a key section of the Kingussie Wildcat Trail, an orbital path around the town named after the elusive Scottish Wildcat, which still inhabits the remote fringes of the surrounding Monadhliath mountains.
- •From the cairn, you can look directly down onto the 18th-century ruins of Ruthven Barracks, the site where the remnants of the Jacobite army gathered after the Battle of Culloden to receive their final orders to disperse.
- •While the name translates as 'Little Crag', the hill manages to feel significantly larger to anyone attempting the steep direct ascent from the local golf course after a heavy lunch.