![Glenwhappen Rig from Culter Fell. [L-R]: Coomb Hill, Gathersnow Hill and Hillshaw Head. Glenwhappen.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Glenwhappen.jpg/350px-Glenwhappen.jpg)
![Looking northwest from Cowgill Rig. [L-R]: Broad Hill, Tinto and Lamington Hill. Cowgill.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Cowgill.jpg/350px-Cowgill.jpg)
The Culter Hills, Coulter Fells or variations thereof, are a range of hills, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. They are neighboured to the east by the Manor Hills and are split roughly in half by the border between South Lanarkshire and the Scottish Borders.
The hills form a roughly southwest–northeast rectangular shape and cover a considerable area, however the ridges within the range do not follow a common direction. The highest summit, Culter Fell, at 748m, is the highest point in South Lanarkshire and indeed the whole of Lanarkshire. Walks in the area frequently follow a popular round which begins in the Culter Glen, follows an ascent from the north up Culter Fell, down and up to Glenwhappen Rig to Gathersnow Hill followed by a long, flat walk to Hudderstone and back into the glen. This can be shortened to head back at Holm Nick, passing by the Coulter reservoir. [1] Another popular option is to begin from Glenkirk farm to the east, also allowing for a circular route.
In a roughly clockwise direction, the hills in the range over 2000 ft are:
| Summit | Height (m) | Listing [2] |
|---|---|---|
| Culter Fell | 748 | Ma,Hu,Tu,Sim, G, D,CoH,CoU,DN,Y [3] |
| Cardon Hill | 675 | Tu,Sim,DT,GT,DN [4] |
| Chapelgill Hill | 696 | Hu,Tu,Sim,D,GT,DN,Y [5] |
| Coomb Hill | 640 | Tu,Sim,DT,GT,DN [6] |
| Gathersnow Hill | 688 | Ma,Hu,Tu,Sim, G, D,DN,Y [7] |
| Hillshaw Head | 652 | Tu,Sim, D,GT,DN [8] |
| Coomb Dod | 635 | Tu,Sim,DT,GT,DN [9] |
| Hudderstone | 626 | Hu,Tu,Sim, D,GT,DN,Y [10] |
The area is popular with gamekeepers as well as pastoral farming and it is advised to be observant when walking nearby from spring to late summer and heed the warnings of any landowners.[ citation needed ]
The area has a predominantly Scots influence. 'Coulter' is also a toponymic surname, likely derived from the village Coulter to the north. The word may derive from Scottish Gaelic cùl tir (back land) or Scots cootyre (safe place to store cows). [11] [ circular reference ]
Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark, is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the Central Lowlands and Southern Uplands of Scotland. The county is no longer used for local government purposes, but gives its name to the two modern council areas of North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire.
Cairngorms National Park is a national park in northeast Scotland, established in 2003. It was the second of two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament, after Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, which was set up in 2002. The park covers the Cairngorms range of mountains, and surrounding hills. Already the largest national park in the United Kingdom, in 2010 it was expanded into Perth and Kinross.
The Merrick, or simply Merrick, is a mountain in the Range of the Awful Hand, a sub-range of the Galloway Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The summit elevation is 843 metres, making it the highest mountain in the Southern Uplands and southern Scotland.
The Southern Uplands are the southernmost and least populous of mainland Scotland's three major geographic areas. The term is used both to describe the geographical region and to collectively denote the various ranges of hills and mountains within this region. An overwhelmingly rural and agricultural region, the Southern Uplands are partly forested and contain many areas of open moorland - the hill names in the area are congruent with these characteristics.
Coulter or Culter is a small village and civil parish in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Biggar. Some old maps and local modern houses also have the spelling Cootyre - "a safe place for cows."
Scotland is the most mountainous country in the United Kingdom. Scotland's mountain ranges can be divided in a roughly north to south direction into: the Scottish Highlands, the Central Belt and the Southern Uplands, the latter two primarily belonging to the Scottish Lowlands. The highlands eponymously contains the country's main mountain ranges, but hills and mountains are to be found south of these as well. The below lists are not exhaustive; there are countless subranges throughout the country.
Culter Fell is a hill in the Culter Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is the county top of the historic county of Lanarkshire, as well as the highest point in South Lanarkshire council area. It is the culmination of a network of ridges that lie south of the village of Coulter, close to the town of Biggar.
The Moffat Hills are a range of hills in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. They form a roughly triangular shape with a west facing side, a north facing side, and a south-east facing side. It is 17 kilometres from east to west across this triangle and some 16 kilometres north to south. The highest point is White Coomb at 821 m (2694 ft). The town of Moffat lies just south of the Moffat hills and along with Tweedsmuir, at the northern extremity, is the only centre of population around these hills. In some older maps, the northern part of the Moffat Hills is called the Tweedsmuir Hills, but can also be known by the title Manor Hills.
Under Saddle Yoke is a hill in the Moffat Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. Despite its name, it is 10m higher than its neighbouring top, Saddle Yoke. Located in a dramatic position on a small, grassy ridge in between two deep glens, Blackhope and Carrifran, it awards excellent views into the rest of the Moffat Hills and the Ettrick Hills opposite. Although incomparable to the Scottish Highlands and not particularly precipitous, the ridge between and atop the Yokes is the narrowest summit ridge in the Southern Uplands. The electric fence that comes out of Blackshope and crosses the ridge to the north of Saddle Yoke and then continues down into Carrifran hasn't worked in 40 years. A popular round known as the Hart Fell Horseshoe begins near Blackshope and normally ascends Nether Coomb Craig first, then passing over Swatte Fell, Hart Fell and looping round Hartfell Rig to the Saddle Yokes before the descent.
Gathersnow Hill is a hill in the Culter Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It lies west of the village of Tweedsmuir on the border of the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire. The second highest of the Culter Hills after Culter Fell to the north, the two Grahams are often climbed together.
The Manor Hills, also known as the Tweedsmuir Hills, are a range of hills south of Peebles in the Scottish Borders, one of the ranges which collectively form the Southern Uplands. They are separated from the Moffat Hills by the Talla Reservoir, Megget Reservoir and St. Mary's Loch, the Moorfoot Hills by the A72 and the Culter Hills in South Lanarkshire by the A701. The western portion of the hills are designated as the 'Tweedsmuir Hills' Site of Special Scientific Interest and the 'Upper Tweeddale' National Scenic Area, with the major tributary rivers designated as Special Areas of Conservation.
Chapelgill Hill is a hill in the Culter Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is frequently climbed from the north-west, taking in the range's, and South Lanarkshire's, highest summit, Culter Fell.
Hillshaw Head is a hill in the Culter Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. An extension to the Clyde Wind Farm was commissioned in 2017 which partially built upon its slopes. It is most frequently climbed with the neighbouring hills as part of a round.
Hudderstone is a hill in the Culter Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. Normally ascended as part of a popular round, its southern flanks are dotted with turbines from the Clyde Extension Wind Farm.
Bell Craig is a hill in the Ettrick Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is part of a ridge that runs parallel to the A708 road on its southern side, with White Coomb in the Moffat Hills directly opposite. The northern slopes are designated as part of the 'Moffat Hills' SSSI and SAC - the summit marks a corner of the area.
The Dungeon Hills are a range of hills in the Galloway Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The central of three parallel ridges, they are neighboured by the Range of the Awful Hand to the west and the Rhinns of Kells to the east. The range is also perpendicular to the Minnigaff Hills range, immediately south. In total, these four ranges are part of the Galloway Forest Park.
The Rhinns of Kells are a range of hills in the Galloway Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The most easterly of three parallel ridges, they are neighboured to the west by the Range of the Awful Hand and the Dungeon Hills. The eastern portion of the Minnigaff Hills range lies immediately southwest of the range. In total, these four ranges are part of the Galloway Forest Park. The ridge is located entirely within Dumfries and Galloway, with the base of the western flanks being a northwestern boundary of the county.
The Minnigaff Hills are a range of hills in the Galloway Hills range, part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. A southerly range, they are perpendicular to the Range of the Awful Hand, Dungeon Hills and Rhinns of Kells to the north. In total, these four ranges are part of the Galloway Forest Park.
The Ettrick Hills are a range of hills that are part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland. They are neighboured to the northwest by the Moffat Hills and are located mainly within the Scottish Borders; however, the Dumfries and Galloway border covers the south and southwesterly flanks.