What difficulty is Brown Carrick Hill?

On the OutdoorSCOT scale, Brown Carrick Hill comes in at 1/5 — easy. Underfoot: Short coastal grass on the upper slopes with gorse and bracken lower down.

What is Brown Carrick Hill's prominence?

227m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Brown Carrick Hill to the next higher ground. That drop is what qualifies it as a Marilyn — a hill with at least 150m of descent on every side.

When is the best time to climb Brown Carrick Hill?

March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Brown Carrick Hill. 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 Brown Carrick Hill dog-friendly?

Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.

By Gary

Photo: Trevor Littlewood / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Marilyn · Galloway

Brown Carrick Hill

Rising abruptly from the Carrick coast at NS 28 just south of Ayr, this 287m hill commands the Heads of Ayr skyline. Brown Carrick is a local favourite for its sweeping Firth of Clyde panorama out to Arran and Ailsa Craig.

Quick facts

Height: 287.6m/ 944ft
Prominence: 227 m
Difficulty: 1 / 5Easy
Grid ref: NS 28361 15949
Nearest city: Glasgow· 58km
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

heather moorland 55% · grass slopes 35% · rocky summit 10%

GPX needed

Elevation profile coming with the GPX track

Start from the minor road crossing the northern flank and follow the mast track south-west onto the summit ridge in around 45 minutes. The grassy top carries a trig point beside the broadcast mast — return the same way or extend west along the ridge toward Dunure.

Terrain

Short coastal grass on the upper slopes with gorse and bracken lower down. A vehicle track to the mast makes the line obvious in any weather.

In winter

Mild Firth of Clyde air keeps snow accumulation negligible — frost-burned grass is the usual winter face. The mast track stays usable year-round so short daylight is the main limit.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Brown Carrick Hill. SAIS forecasts six areas only — Northern and Southern Cairngorms, Creag Meagaidh, Lochaber, Glencoe and Torridon — and this hill is outside all of them, so there is no avalanche forecast to read for it. In winter, use MWIS Southern Uplands ↗ for mountain weather, judge snow stability from first principles, and treat any cornice or wind-loaded slope with extra caution.

Best time of year

Best OK Avoid

Getting there

Glasgow2h 40m
Edinburgh4h 11m

OS maps: OS Landranger 70, OS Explorer 326N, OS Explorer 326S

Mobile signal: Good. South Ayrshire; EE reliable.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 07mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:48
Sunset: 19:41
Civil dawn: 06:11
Civil dusk: 20:18

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 September 2026

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Around Brown Carrick Hill on the SCOT network

Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Brodick

Arran base — Goat Fell, Glen Rosa, the Arran ridge

33km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

Brown Carrick Hill — common questions

What difficulty is Brown Carrick Hill?: On the OutdoorSCOT scale, Brown Carrick Hill comes in at 1/5 — easy. Underfoot: Short coastal grass on the upper slopes with gorse and bracken lower down.
What is Brown Carrick Hill's prominence?: 227m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Brown Carrick Hill to the next higher ground. That drop is what qualifies it as a Marilyn — a hill with at least 150m of descent on every side.
When is the best time to climb Brown Carrick Hill?: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Brown Carrick Hill. 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 Brown Carrick Hill 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 Brown Carrick Hill?: Good. South Ayrshire; EE reliable.
Is Brown Carrick Hill safe in winter?: Mild Firth of Clyde air keeps snow accumulation negligible — frost-burned grass is the usual winter face. The mast track stays usable year-round so short daylight is the main limit.

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