Big Hills & Wee Mountains: A Guide to the Hills in Scotland

Speckled in glistening lochs, craggy Munros and miles of rural landscapes, the hills in Scotland offer an outdoor experience like no other.

Blessed with some of the best hillwalking in the world, we’ve compiled a handy list of some of our favourite unheralded hills.

Read on to learn more about the big hills and wee mountains of Scotland…

Hillwalking in Scotland

Hiking the Munros is undoubtedly one of the most widely enjoyed pastimes in Scotland. The summiting of all the hills in the country higher than 3,000 feet can be a challenging but worthwhile pursuit for walkers of all abilities.

What about the hills that don’t meet this arbitrary height? And what should you do if you want to veer away from the beaten track a little?

Here is a selection of some other hills for you to consider, maybe not as high as the Munros, but each with something superb to warrant a summit attempt.

What is a Corbett?

Corbetts are defined as mountains towering between 2500 and 3000 feet. There are 222 Corbetts in Scotland, and it is common for those who have completed a coveted round of Munros to start ticking off these hills in Scotland next.

A round is no easy feat, as Corbetts tend to be more isolated than their bigger brothers. Often long journeys are necessary for just a single summit. The rewards are worth the endevaour.

These hills tend to hit the sweet spot between being accessible but still feeling remote and relatively free from other hikers.

One of the best Corbetts is Quinag, a Y-shaped mountain range consisting of three summits. Many people are surprised that Quniag is not a Munro, considering the way it dominates the Assynt landscape. Despite its relatively short height of 800 metres, it is not to be underestimated.

What is the difference between a Graham and a Corbett?

Slightly less challenging than the Corbetts are the hills in Scotland that are known as the Grahams. These are distinct peaks in Scotland ranging between 2000ft and 2500ft.

The best Grahams tend to be located in more rural settings, and they make for a brilliant introduction to hillwalking for those less experienced.

A number of the Harris hills qualify for this status. Uisgneabhal Mor and Oireabhal are both worthy excursions, but Tiorga Mor, the most westerly of the three, has the best views.

The walk starts and ends just off the windy, but otherwise spectacular, road towards Amhuinnsuidhe. If you’re lucky, you might even catch sight of some eagles on the way.

The Donald in Hillwalking

Donalds are lowland hills that extend up to 2000 ft in height. Many summits are not waymarked, and as the amount of walkers is small, there are not always well-worn paths to follow.

Traditionally, walking the hills in Scotland primarily focussed on more northerly locations and the lowland hills were largely overlooked. More recently, hikers have been attracted to the fact that these hills still feel wild untouched.

At around 4 hours up and down, the Cairnsmore of Fleet is a great option for hikers looking to spend a few hour exploring the lowlands.

The views are truly breath-taking, ranging over southern Galloway and across the Solway Firth to the Isle of Man.

There’s plenty of history to discover here as well. You’ll find the ruins of a bothy, providing shelter from the elements, a large cairn and an air crash memorial.

What is a Marilyn?

The Marilyns were compiled in the 1990s as a list of summits with an independent peak or prominence of at least 150 metres. There are over 1200 Marilyns in Scotland altogether, with the list including most of the Munros.

The Marilyns can be found scattered throughout country, and include some peaks on the St Kilda islands. You’ll even find Marilyns on Maol Domhnaich, an uninhabited island to the south of Barra.

Because of their rural positioning, only a handful of people have ever completed all of these Scottish hills.

Want to start ticking some Marilyns off your list? Tap o’ Noth is a relaitvely easy walk for those less experienced. This prominent Aberdeenshire landmark would make for a great hill run, or even an easy amble in jeans and trainers.

You’ll be rewarded by far-reaching views of rural Aberdeenshire from the top. There are also the remains of a massive iron age fort – the second highest in the country.

Fancy spending a weekend hiking the hills in Scotland? Browse our wonderful range of holiday cottages in Scotland and secure your perfect base! 

If adventure is your thing, take the plunge and read our guide on wild swimming in the UK!

Image courtesy of: Peter Stenzel – (CC BY 2.0); Andy Farrington – (CC BY-SA 2.0)