Scotland
Wester Hill
639M
2096FT
About Wester Hill
Rising above the forests of Glen Muick near Ballater, this distinctive summit forms the western part of the Coyles of Muick. Composed of rare serpentine rock, its rugged heathery slopes offer a sharp contrast to the rounded granite of nearby Lochnagar, providing a clear, elevated perspective over the sprawling Dee Valley.
Key Statistics
Rank
139th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Lochaber
Prominence
?
36m
Nearest Town
Angus
Geology
Wester Hill is built from layers of gritty sandstone and mudstone, sliced through by narrow bands of tough, dark volcanic rock.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NO445713
Latitude
56.8298°N
Longitude
2.9111°W
Did You Know?
- •The name reflects its position as the westernmost peak of the Coyles of Muick, a small, jagged range that stands as a geological outlier between the Muick and Girnock glens.
- •The hill is composed of serpentine, a rare green rock that produces nutrient-rich soil; this creates a distinct botanical environment compared to the acidic granite found elsewhere in the Mounth.
- •Queen Victoria was a frequent visitor to these slopes from nearby Balmoral; she recorded an ascent of the Coyles in September 1848, admiring the 'wild and grand' scenery in her journals.
- •From the summit, the view is dominated by the precipitous northern cliffs of Lochnagar and the dark waters of Loch Muick tucked into the glen below.
- •It is a hill that teaches the valuable lesson that 'heather-bashing' is a measurement of effort entirely ignored by the neat, orderly lines of an Ordnance Survey map.