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.
Ben Nevis (Beinn Nibheis), the highest mountain in Scotland and the United Kingdom[1] at 4,413 feet (1,345m), is in the Highland region at the western end of the Grampian Mountains. A Scottish mountain over 3,000 feet (910m) is referred to as a Munro, of which there are 282.
As of 2019, hundreds of thousands of people visit mountains in Scotland every winter[2] and 130,000 climb to the summit of Ben Nevis every year.[1]
Sgurr Fiona and the Corrag Bhuidhe pinnacles on An TeallachThe Five Sisters of KintailThe steep south face of Ben Nevis from Sgurr a' MhàimThe eastern Mamores and Grey Corries from the Aonach EagachThe main ridge of the Black Cuillin in SkyeThe Paps of Jura from near Keills Chapel
Highlands
Scotland's main mountainous region can be broadly further split into the Northwest Highlands, the Grampian Mountains and the islands off the west coast. As the name implies, the NW Highlands begin at the suture north and west of the Great Glen and include 100 of the 282 Munros. The mountains found here are generally very rough and steep, but can also often provide walking on short grass. Long ridges are to be found on both sides of Glen Shiel in Kintail and more range-like mountains are to be found further north, such as in the Fannichs. The Torridon Hills are exceptionally well-regarded by hillwalking, scrambling and climbing communities; some of them, such as Beinn Eighe, are crowned by white quartzite, which gives a highly-distinctive appearance. The trend continues to the north, with larger caps of the white rock at Foinaven and Arkle. Some of these hills are made of Lewisian Gneiss, one of the oldest rocks on Earth. Many of the peaks within this region are isolated, particularly within Assynt and Sutherland, and, although sometimes smaller, possess a great grandeur. These include: Stac Pollaidh, Suilven, An Teallach and Maiden Pap. The southern portion of this area south of Glenfinnan consists of lower mountains of Corbetts and Grahams, but maintain the rough character of those found further north. The highest mountain in this area is Càrn Eige, also the second most prominent mountain in Britain, although twelfth by height.
The Grampians make up the bulk of Scotland's highlands and contain the highest peaks and largest ranges, extending south and east of the Great Glen down to the Highland Boundary Fault, occupying almost half of the country's land area. Some of the area is relatively low lying, but not necessarily without topographical character. These regions include the Kintyre peninsula, Knapdale and Mid Argyll on the west coast, as well as eastern Aberdeenshire and Moray on the east. Rannoch Moor is a well-known area of low-lying land in an area surrounded by very high mountains and usually harks travellers' entrance into the highlands. The partly-forested Cowal peninsula has hills of intermediate height and considerable cragginess. The Grampians has the highest number of distinct mountain ranges in Scotland, particularly towards the west in Lochaber, where the mountains have much steeper sides than those found easterly. The highest eastern ranges can be split primarily into the Monadhliath, the Cairngorms and the Mounth. Well-known mountains and hills are to be found here, such as Ben A'an, The Cobbler, Buachaille Etive Mòr, Bidean nam Bian, Schiehallion, Ben Macdui and Lochnagar. The highest mountain in this area is Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain.
The main mountainous islands of Scotland are Skye, Mull and Rùm in the Inner Hebrides and Harris within the Outer Hebrides, however Islay, Jura and, although separated from the Hebrides, Arran are all very well-regarded for their hills and mountains. Skye's Black Cuillin, composed of basalt and rough gabbro, is generally regarded as the most serious mountain terrain in Britain with bare rock, jagged in outline and steep cliffs and deep cut corries. Ropes are required for some summits and the area is host to the only Munro necessitating climbing apparatus, the In Pinn. The neighbouring Red Cuillin is composed primarily of granite and has more isolated, cone-shaped mountains of a slightly lesser height. Skye is also very well known for the Quiraing and its Old Man of Storr on the Trotternish peninsula. The isle of Rùm has its own Cuillin, also composed of gabbro but shorter, grassier; necessitating good scrambling ability, and a head for heights. Multiple characteristic smaller hills are to be found on the island as well. Although only having one Munro, Ben More, Mull is a very mountainous island in its centre with Grahams and lower hills. The walking here is not as precipitous as the latter but still requires good competence. Jura is best known by the Paps of Jura, three cone-shaped, quartzite hills which are home to the Isle of Jura Fell Race and necessitate a great deal of height gain despite their size. Smaller hills are to be found nearby to them and on the remote northern half of the island. Within the Outer Hebrides, the mountains of Harris dominate, providing a stark contrast to the flatness of Lewis. The four highest mountains here are separated from each other by deep valleys, however the areas highest mountain, An Cliseam, can be climbed via a short horseshoe route. South Uist, further south in the archipelago, also has small enjoyable mountains and hills. The final island of considerable concern is Arran, which has four Corbetts and one Graham. These mountains require considerable care in places and include the A'Chir ridge, an area well-regarded by climbers; a number of approaches and routes are possible, usually starting from Glen Rosa or Glen Sannox. The St. Kilda archipelago, 40-miles west-northwest of North Uist, is also worth mentioning, consisting of four exceptionally steep-sided islands and multiple sea stacks, all but one requiring special planning and authorisation to visit and almost all necessitating safety ropes. These islands are sought after by hill baggers. Scotland also has smaller islands with conspicuous summits not part of a range, such as Dùn Caan on Raasay. The highest point of this area is Sgùrr Alasdair.
Ochil Hills (Wood Hill and Elistoun Hill) viewed from south-west of Tillicoultry
The southern and eastern parts of Scotland are usually referred to as the Scottish Lowlands, but these areas also have significant ranges of hills, although these are lower than the Highland mountains. Because they are much closer to towns and cities, they are more popular for hill walking and rambling than the more distant mountains of the Highlands. The highest mountain in this area is Ben Cleuch.
Sidlaw Hills, north of Dundee but south east of the Highland Boundary Fault
In addition to the main ranges, there are numerous individual hills in the Lowlands, often volcanic in origin. Many are known by the Scots word Law, meaning hill.
Southern Uplands
The Southern Uplands form a continuous belt of hills across southern Scotland from Dumfries and Galloway to the Scottish Borders, with the northern sections spilling into Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and Lothian. These uplands are divided into several local ranges. The heartland of the Galloway Hills lies to the north of Loch Trool, and excellent walks start from the extensive car park by Bruce's Stane. The ranges within the Scottish Borders are somewhat bigger and flatter than in Galloway but are of a similar height and are just as remote. There are also isolated hills which do not fit into any specific range, such as Tinto and Cairnsmore of Fleet. The highest mountain in this area is Merrick.
Scottish peaks are categorised in the following hill lists. A peak may qualify for inclusion in more than one list.
The Munros are the most significant hills in Scotland over 3,000feet (914.4m), according to original compiler Sir Hugh Munro. The list was first drawn up in 1891, and is modified from time to time by the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC). It currently comprises 282 peaks,[13] following the demotion of Sgurr nan Ceannaichean in September 2009 and of Beinn a' Chlaidheimh in 2012.[14]
The Corbetts are hills in Scotland between 2,500 and 3,000feet (762 and 914.4m), with a relative height of at least 500feet (152.4m). The list is maintained by the SMC. There are currently 222 hills.
The Grahams are hills in Scotland between 2,000 and 2,500feet (609.6 and 762m), with a relative height of at least 150metres (492ft). The list of hills fitting these criteria was first published by Alan Dawson in The Relative Hills of Britain.[15] under the provisional name Elsies (LCs, short for Lesser Corbetts). They were later named Grahams after the late Fiona Torbet (née Graham) who had compiled a similar list around the same time.[16] The SMC incorporated the list into Munro's Tables[17] in 1997 but Dawson continues to maintain the list. There were originally 224 Grahams, but the current total stands at 221 after Corwharn, Ben Aslak and Ladylea Hill were surveyed as falling short of 609.6m[18]
The Donalds are hills in the Scottish Lowlands over 2,000feet (609.6m). The list was originally compiled by Percy Donald, and is maintained by the SMC. It comprises 89 summits and 51 subsidiary tops, giving a total of 140 hills.
The Marilyns are hills in the British Isles that have a relative height of at least 150m, regardless of distance, absolute height or merit. The list was compiled and is maintained by Alan Dawson. There are 1,216 Scottish Marilyns, see List of Marilyns in Scotland.
A Munro is defined as a mountain in Scotland with a height over 3,000 feet (914.4 m), and which is on the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) official list of Munros; there is no explicit topographical prominence requirement. The best known Munro is Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles at 4,411 ft.
Ben Macdui is the second-highest mountain in Scotland and all of the British Isles, after Ben Nevis, and the highest of the Cairngorm Mountains. The summit is 1,309 metres (4,295 ft) above sea level and it is classed as a Munro. Ben Macdui sits on the southwestern edge of the Cairngorm plateau, overlooking the Lairig Ghru pass to the west, and Loch Etchachan to the east. It lies on the boundary between the historic counties of Aberdeenshire and Banffshire.
Càrn Mòr Dearg is the ninth-highest mountain in Scotland and the British Isles, with a height of 1,220 metres (4,000 ft). It stands a short distance northeast of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain, to which it is linked by the 'Càrn Mòr Dearg arête'. Along with Càrn Dearg Meadhanach and Càrn Beag Dearg, it makes up the eastern ridge of the horseshoe-shaped Ben Nevis massif in the Scottish Highlands.
Aonach Mòr is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. It is located about two miles northeast of Ben Nevis on the south side of Glen Spean, near Fort William. The mountain has a summit elevation of 4,006 ft (1,221 m) and is classified as a Munro.
The mountains and hills of the British Isles are categorised into various lists based on different combinations of elevation, prominence, and other criteria such as isolation. These lists are used for peak bagging, whereby hillwalkers attempt to reach all the summits on a given list, the oldest being the 282 Munros in Scotland, created in 1891.
Beinn a’ Ghlò is a Scottish mountain situated roughly 10 km (6 mi) north east of Blair Atholl in the Forest of Atholl in between Glen Tilt and Glen Loch, in Cairngorms National Park.
The Grey Corries are a range of mountains in the West Highlands of Scotland. The range includes several of Scotland's highest peaks including a number of Munros. The range is bounded to the north by the great extent of Leanachan Forest beyond which is Glen Spean and the Great Glen, to the east by the defile of Lairig Leacach and to the south by upper Glen Nevis and the headwaters of the Abhainn Rath. The ridge continues westwards at a high level to join Aonach Beag, Aonach Mor, Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis.
Maolán Buí, also known by the name Bearna Rua, at 973 metres (3,192 ft) high, is the fifth-highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, or the sixth-highest peak in Ireland according to the Vandeleur-Lynam list. Maolán Buí is also known for its narrow north-west spur, called The Bone. It is part of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks in Kerry.
↑ "Ben Macdui (Beinn Macduibh)". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
↑ "Braeriach (Am Bràigh Riabhach)". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
↑ "Cairn Toul (Càrn an t-Sabhail)". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
↑ "Sgòr an Lochain Uaine". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
↑ "Cairn Gorm". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
↑ "Aonach Beag". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
↑ "Aonach Mòr". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
↑ "Càrn Mòr Dearg". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
↑ "Ben Lawers (Beinn Labhair)". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
Scottish Mountaineering Club - The SMC maintain the lists of Munros, Munro Tops, Furths, Corbetts and Donalds. They also keep a record of Completionists.
Walkhighlands – Features podcasts giving the correct pronunciation and place-name meanings, a 3D visualisation of every route, gradient profiles and route downloads for GPS devices.
MunroMagic.com – Munro, Corbett and Graham descriptions, pictures, location maps, walking routes and weather reports.
Ordnance Survey Munro Blog - OS is Britain's mapping agency. They make the most up-to-date and accurate maps of the United Kingdom. They have also produced a blog on the Munros.
Harold Street Munros Lists of GPS waypoints + Grid References for walking in UK mountains and hills in various GPS file formats.
ScottishHills.com – Hillwalking forum with Munro, Corbett, Graham and Donald, Sub 200's log, maps and trip reports.
360munros.co.uk - Munro route details with 360° virtual tour, map, 3D model and GPX download.
Bibliography
Poucher, W.A. (1998). The Scottish Peaks:. London: Frances Lincoln Ltd. ISBN0 7112 2406 4.
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