Scotland
Culblean Hill
605M
1985FT
About Culblean Hill
Rising above the surrounding moorland to an elevation of 604 metres, this prominent heathery dome offers an expansive sense of space. Its rugged slopes and granite-flecked ridges provide a classic highland character, rewarding walkers with a clear, uncluttered perspective of the deep glacial valleys and neighbouring mountain massifs that define this historic landscape.
Key Statistics
Rank
42nd Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Isle of Skye
Prominence
?
94m
Nearest Town
Tullich
Geology
You are walking on pale granite from the Ballater Pluton, a mass of molten rock that cooled and hardened deep underground.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NJ398007
Latitude
57.0939°N
Longitude
2.9943°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Culblean is derived from the Scottish Gaelic 'Coille Bhlean', meaning 'Wood of the Flank', describing the hill’s position overlooking the lower-lying moorland.
- •The hillside was the site of the Battle of Culblean in 1335. Sir Andrew Murray’s Scottish forces used the rugged terrain to surprise and defeat David de Strathbogie, a pivotal moment in the Second War of Scottish Independence.
- •A highlight of the lower slopes is the Burn o' Vat, a massive granite cauldron carved by glacial meltwater that remains one of the area's most popular geological landmarks.
- •The summit offers an earned view of the northern corries of Lochnagar to the south and the twin glacial basins of Loch Kinord and Loch Davan to the east.
- •While its status as a Tump may seem modest, the hill’s isolated position ensures it receives the full, unbuffered force of the weather moving across the open highland plateau.
- •The 1335 victory was achieved through a clever flanking manoeuvre, a tactic modern walkers frequently find themselves imitating while trying to navigate the particularly stubborn and leg-snagging patches of heather on the upper slopes.