Scotland
Strathfinella Hill
414M
1358FT
About Strathfinella Hill
Rising above the Drumtochty Forest, this prominent Marilyn marks the transition from the fertile Howe of the Mearns to the Highland fringes. While commercial forestry cloaks its lower slopes, the open summit provides a clear outlook toward the striking tor of Clachnaben and the distant North Sea coast.
Key Statistics
Rank
293rd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Lochaber
Prominence
?
239m
Nearest Town
West Cairnbeg
Geology
You are walking on the Strathfinella Hill Conglomerate Member. This rock is made of rounded pebbles and stones naturally cemented together into a solid mass.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NO693787
Latitude
56.8986°N
Longitude
2.5056°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is rooted in the legend of Finella, a 10th-century noblewoman who fled through this strath after assassinating King Kenneth II; local lore suggests she travelled through the treetops of the dense forest to escape his men.
- •The summit provides a grandstand view of the 'Howe of the Mearns', the fertile 'hollow' of Kincardineshire, with the sprawling plateau of Mount Battock visible to the northwest.
- •It sits right on the edge of the Highland Boundary Fault, the geological line that separates the rugged Grampian Highlands from the softer, red sandstone lowlands of the south.
- •The ascent through the lower commercial plantations is often less a wilderness experience and more an unintentional tour of the local timber industry, at least until you finally break cover for the summit.