Moorbrock Hill

Rising in the remote heart of the Carsphairn Hills, this Donald offers a classic Southern Upland experience of broad ridges and deep-cut burns. Often reached from the south via the Moorbrock farm ruins, its rounded summit provides a quiet vantage point over the wild, grassy hinterland between Galloway and Dumfriesshire.

• •The name is derived from the Scots word 'brock', meaning a badger, suggesting this high moorland was once a noted habitat for the animals.
• •It is most commonly climbed as part of a high-level circuit of the Carsphairn range, usually paired with its higher neighbour, Cairnsmore of Carsphairn, and the steep-sided Beninner.
• •From the summit, the view to the west is dominated by the sprawling mass of Cairnsmore of Carsphairn, while the jagged profile of the Rhinns of Kells is visible across the valley of the Water of Ken.
• •The standard approach from the south passes the remote ruins of Moorbrock farm, which sits at the head of a long, lonely glen that serves as a gateway to the inner core of the range.
• •Despite being classified as a Donald and a Hump, the hill’s primary characteristic is its talent for hiding several deep peat hags exactly where you intend to place your next step.