Scotland
Hill of Couternach
512M
1680FT
About Hill of Couternach
Rising from the heathery moorland north of Ballater, this modest dome offers a quieter perspective on the eastern Cairngorms. Though the terrain is often heavy going, the summit provides a clear, earned vantage point over the Gairn valley toward the dark corries of Lochnagar and the rounded mass of Morven.
Key Statistics
Rank
241st Highest in Region
Parent Range
Lochaber
Prominence
?
123m
Nearest Town
Braeminzion
Geology
You are walking on the Glen Lethnot Grit, a foundation of ancient, gritty sandstones and hardened, fine-grained muddy rocks.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NO356659
Latitude
56.7802°N
Longitude
3.0555°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely stems from the Gaelic cùiternach, referring to 'cotters'—the small-scale tenant farmers who once lived and worked in the remote glens surrounding the hill.
- •Walkers often combine the ascent with nearby Scraulac to the north, crossing the high, undulating plateau that separates the River Gairn from the River Don.
- •The summit provides a birds-eye view of the historic Gairnshiel Bridge, an 18th-century military structure built to facilitate the movement of government troops through the Highlands.
- •While technically classified as a Hump, the deep, springy heather on its flanks ensures that reaching the top feels like significantly more work than the 512-metre height suggests.