Sgor Dearg

Rising above the Spey Valley near Newtonmore, this 801-metre Tump serves as a quiet gateway to the vast, rolling plateaus of the Monadhliath. Its name, Gaelic for "Red Peak," belies a landscape of heather and peat, offering a solitary alternative to the crowded Cairngorm summits visible across the Strath.

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic Sgòr Dearg, meaning 'Red Sharp Rock' or 'Red Peak', a common descriptor in the Highlands for hills where granite or seasonal heather gives the slopes a distinctive rufous tint.
• •From the summit, walkers are rewarded with a grandstand view across the Spey Valley toward the western ramparts of the Cairngorms; the massive bulk of Braeriach and the cleft of the Lairig Ghru are particularly prominent from this angle.
• •Commonly approached from Glen Banchor, the hill is part of the Monadhliath range, an area known for its immense, high-level plateaus that feel significantly more remote than the height alone suggests.
• •The terrain is characteristically Monadhliath: a mix of boggy hollows and heather-clad ridges that require careful navigation in the mist, as the rolling nature of the ground offers few distinct landmarks for the navigator.
• •Being classified as a Tump—a hill with at least 30 metres of prominence—means it has just enough of a rise to ensure you'll be spending a fair amount of time negotiating peat hags to reach the highest point.