Corbett · Cairngorms
Ben Tirran (The Goet)
Ben Tirran — known locally as The Goet — is the highest of the heather-clad rolling hills on the north side of Glen Clova, a quiet corner of the Angus Glens often overlooked in favour of the higher Cairngorms to the west. At 897m it stops a touch short of Munro status but compensates with two superb lochan-filled corries, Loch Brandy and Loch Wharral, scooped into its southern flank. The summit is a broad mossy plateau with a trig point and far views south across the Angus farmland to the Sidlaws and north into the eastern Cairngorms.
Quick facts
- Height
- 897m/ 2943ft
- Prominence
- 246 m
- Distance
- 16 km
- Ascent
- 789 m
- Time
- 5–8 hrs
- Grid ref
- NO373746
- Parking
- NO327755
- Nearest city
- Dundee· 44km
- Dogs
- Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗
Height and prominence cross-checked against the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY).
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Standard route
engineered path 25% · peat moor 40% · broad plateau 25% · summit area 10%
Most parties start from the Glen Clova road end and climb the engineered path above the Clova Hotel onto the rim of the Loch Brandy corrie — a short, steep pull rewarded by an immediate dramatic outlook. From the corrie rim it is a long, rolling walk north-east over peat and heather to the summit, with no significant re-ascent but plenty of soft ground in wet conditions. Total distance is around 16km with 789m of ascent. Most return the same way; a longer round can drop back via Loch Wharral.
Terrain
Engineered zig-zags above the Clova Hotel give a clean start, but once above the Loch Brandy rim the going is across rough peat hag and tussocky heather all the way to the summit. The plateau is broad and featureless — in mist a careful bearing is needed to keep north-east and avoid drifting into the upper bowl of Corrie Wharral. Stay well back from the corrie edges; the south-facing rim above Loch Brandy is undercut in places.
In winter
Snow cover here is patchy and rarely deep, but the plateau is exposed and the path becomes hard to follow once any depth of snow settles. Cornices form along the southern corrie rims of Brandy and Wharral after easterly drifts and have collapsed under walkers in past winters — keep a generous distance back from any obvious edge. The Glen Clova road can be closed by drifting snow even when Strathmore is clear.
This hill is in the Northern Cairngorms SAIS forecast area. Check SAIS forecasts in winter (December–April).
Best time of year
Getting there
- Glasgow3h 51m
- Edinburgh2h 9m
OS maps: OS Landranger 44
Mobile signal: Reasonable signal on Angus Glens hills — often 2-3 bars on the summit
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 04:44
- Sunset
- 21:53
- Civil dawn
- 03:46
- Civil dusk
- 22:51
NOAA Solar Calculator · 17 July 2026
Around Ben Tirran (The Goet) on the SCOT network
Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.
Getting there: Montrose station
East Angus coast; Montrose Basin nature reserve; Glen Esk approach
38km from the hill
tripscot.co.uk
On TripSCOTBase yourself in Ballater
Eastern Cairngorms / Royal Deeside
21km from the hill
tripscot.co.uk
On TasteSCOTAfter the hill: Royal Lochnagar
Balmoral — Queen Victoria's favourite; eastern Cairngorms setting
18km from the hill
tastescot.co.uk
Ben Tirran (The Goet) — common questions
- How difficult is Ben Tirran (The Goet)?
- Ben Tirran (The Goet) carries a 4/5 (challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 16km, 789m of ascent and a 5-8 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: Engineered zig-zags above the Clova Hotel give a clean start, but once above the Loch Brandy rim the going is across rough peat hag and tussocky heather all the way to the summit.
- What is Ben Tirran (The Goet)'s prominence?
- 246m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Ben Tirran (The Goet) to the next higher ground.
- Where do I park for Ben Tirran (The Goet)?
- Most walkers start from NO327755. Verify the grid reference on an OS map before you set off — space is tight on busy summer weekends.
- When is the best time to climb Ben Tirran (The Goet)?
- May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Ben Tirran (The Goet). Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.
- Is Ben Tirran (The Goet) dog-friendly?
- Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.
- Is there mobile signal on Ben Tirran (The Goet)?
- Reasonable signal on Angus Glens hills — often 2-3 bars on the summit
- Is Ben Tirran (The Goet) safe in winter?
- Snow cover here is patchy and rarely deep, but the plateau is exposed and the path becomes hard to follow once any depth of snow settles. Cornices form along the southern corrie rims of Brandy and Wharral after easterly drifts and have collapsed under walkers in past winters — keep a generous distance back from any obvious edge. The Glen Clova road can be closed by drifting snow even when Strathmore is clear.
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