Scotland
Culardoch
900M
2953FT
About Culardoch
Rising just shy of Munro status, this smooth, heather-clad Corbett offers a stark contrast to the craggy tors of nearby Ben Avon. Its rounded profile belies its height, providing an exceptional vantage point for looking across the Gairn valley toward the high Cairngorm plateaus and the sprawling forests of Aberdeenshire.
Key Statistics
Rank
88th Highest in The Cairngorms
Parent Range
The Cairngorms
Prominence
?
312m
Nearest Town
Braemar
Geology
You are walking on a foundation of dark, carbon-rich mudstone and layers of sandy rock. These compressed sediments form the solid ground beneath your boots.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NO193988
Latitude
57.0731°N
Longitude
3.3327°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Gaelic Cùl Àrdach, meaning 'back of the high ground' or 'back of the heights', likely referring to its position sitting behind the more imposing granite mass of Ben Avon.
- •Most walkers approach from Keiloch near Braemar, following a well-engineered estate track that climbs steadily through Gleann an t-Slugain, a route that offers a scenic introduction to the wilder heart of the eastern Cairngorms.
- •The summit cairn serves as a superb grandstand for viewing the vast, tors-studded plateau of Ben Avon to the northwest, while the distinctive profile of Lochnagar dominates the southern skyline across the Dee valley.
- •Standing at exactly 900 metres, the hill is a prominent Corbett, missing out on Munro status by a mere 14 metres—a margin that ensures its slopes remain significantly quieter than the 3,000ft peaks nearby.
- •Its exceptionally smooth, rounded profile and straightforward terrain have earned it a reputation as a reliable 'bad weather' hill, where the navigation remains relatively simple even when the Cairngorm clag descends.