Roan Fell

Rising above Liddesdale in the Scottish Borders, this sprawling moorland Marilyn offers a rugged, often sodden experience for walkers seeking isolation. Its broad, peat-scarred summit provides an expansive perspective over the Border hills, looking across to the nearby Larriston Fells and the distant, darker silhouettes of the Lake District mountains.

• •The name likely derives from the Scots word 'roan', referring to a thicket or a place where rowan trees once grew, though very few trees survive on its exposed upper slopes today.
• •The summit is marked by a traditional Ordnance Survey trig pillar, situated near a stone-built shelter that offers essential respite from the relentless winds typical of the Southern Uplands.
• •On a clear day, the view to the south is exceptional, stretching past the Solway Firth to the high fells of the Lake District, with the distinctive shapes of Skiddaw and Blencathra often visible on the horizon.
• •The hill is frequently climbed as part of a long, wild circuit from the Hermitage Valley, often combined with the neighbouring Larriston Fells to satisfy those hunting for Border Marilyns.
• •Navigating the summit plateau is a masterclass in peat-hag hopping; it is the kind of terrain where the distance measured on the map bears very little relation to the physical effort required by your knees.