Meikle Geal Charn

Meikle Geal Charn is the beefy crown of the Hills of Cromdale, offering sweeping views that make Tomintoul look even more isolated than it already is. It’s a vast, heather-clad Corbett where the wind has a personal vendetta against your hat and the ghosts of Jacobites probably still wander.

• •Standing at 802 meters, this is the highest point of the Cromdale Hills. It provides a perfect vantage point over the Spey Valley and the northern edges of the Cairngorm massif.
• •The slopes below were the site of the 1690 Battle of Cromdale. This skirmish effectively ended the first Jacobite rising, though the mountains themselves remained blissfully indifferent to the political upheaval.
• •The name translates from Gaelic as the 'Big White Cairn'. While the cairn is indeed substantial, its whiteness is often highly dependent on whether it's currently buried under a foot of fresh Highland snow.
• •It sits near Tomintoul, which famously claims to be the highest village in the Highlands. If you find the ascent difficult, just remember the local sheep are likely judging your cardiovascular fitness from the comfort of a peat hag.
• •Navigation here is a masterclass in 'heather-hopping,' a sport that involves pretending you meant to fall knee-deep into a hidden bog. Expect to spend half your day questioning if that lump ahead is the summit or just another cruel topographical prank.