The Fara South Top

About The Fara South Top

Set upon a long, whaleback ridge overlooking the dark waters of Loch Ericht, this high Tump offers a rugged, expansive experience of the Lochaber wilds. The terrain is a mix of wind-clipped moss and stony plateau, providing an unhindered vantage point toward the remote, sprawling massif of Ben Alder to the west.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Gaelic 'An Fharaid', meaning 'the lookout' or 'the watch-place'. It likely served as a strategic vantage point for observing movement through the Drumochter Pass, a key historical corridor between the Highlands and Lowlands.
• •The summit provides an excellent perspective of the 'Scale of the Alder'—the great eastern cliffs of Ben Alder—which appear as a formidable wall across the deep trench of Loch Ericht.
• •Standing at 904m, it is a significant Tump that requires a long approach from the direction of Newtonmore or Dalwhinnie, ensuring it remains much quieter than the more famous 3,000ft peaks across the pass.
• •The three-mile ridge walk between the main summit of the Fara and this South Top is a delight for those who prefer high-level, easy-going terrain over steep, technical scrambling.
• •The plateau is notoriously exposed; if the wind is howling through the Pass of Drumochter, you can expect to reach the summit cairn at a distinct forty-five-degree angle.