Peter Hill

Tucked between the Forest of Birse and Glen Tanar, this rounded Aberdeenshire summit offers a quintessential Mounth experience. While lower than the nearby Munros, its heathery slopes provide a sense of isolation and grand views towards Morven and the Lochnagar massif, making it a rewarding objective from Aboyne.

• •The hill is situated within the historic Forest of Birse, one of the few places in Scotland where ancient rights of commonage—allowing locals to gather timber and peat—still persist in a modified form.
• •The summit is marked by an Ordnance Survey trig pillar, providing a clear vantage point over the lower Dee Valley and the rolling farmland of the eastern Grampians.
• •To the west, the skyline is dominated by the distinctive profile of Mount Keen, the most easterly Munro, which shares the same rugged, peat-scarred character as Peter Hill.
• •The surrounding estate lands were historically held by the Earls of Aboyne, a title later merged with the Marquessate of Huntly, whose family seat remains at nearby Aboyne Castle.
• •Despite the common-sounding name, you are far more likely to share the summit with a red grouse or a passing harrier than a human namesake.