Is Carn Garbh a hard climb?

Carn Garbh is rated 2/5 (moderate) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Terrain: Block-strewn sandstone tops the hill, awkward to walk on and worse in rain.

How prominent is Carn Garbh?

Carn Garbh has 167m of topographic prominence — the height of its summit above the highest col connecting it to higher ground. Marilyns are defined by that measure: at least 150m of drop on all sides.

When should I climb Carn Garbh?

The standard good-weather months for Carn Garbh are March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October. Outside those months, expect winter conditions on the high ground — full mountain kit, navigation skills, and a check of the SAIS avalanche forecast for the relevant region.

Can I bring my dog up Carn Garbh?

On a lead only — the route crosses ground with livestock or nesting-bird interest.

By Gary

Photo: Mick Crawley / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Marilyn · North-West Highlands

Carn Garbh

Carn Garbh — "rough cairn" — sits at 545m in the NC89 grid square between Strath Brora and Strath Fleet. A genuinely rough hill that earns its name from a chaos of broken sandstone on the upper slopes.

Gaelic: “cairn-topped hill, rough” · Pronunciation: karn garrav

Quick facts

Height: 545m/ 1788ft
Prominence: 167 m
Difficulty: 2 / 5Moderate
Grid ref: NC 89277 13777
Nearest city: Inverness· 72km
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 and bog 55% · rocky slopes 30% · grass slopes 15%

GPX needed

Elevation profile coming with the GPX track

Drive up Strath Brora to Balnacoil, then follow estate tracks south before climbing the northwest spur. Allow 5 hours for the round trip.

Terrain

Block-strewn sandstone tops the hill, awkward to walk on and worse in rain. Lower slopes are gentle heather with the odd bog patch.

In winter

Iced blocks on the summit make the top genuinely awkward in winter. The sandstone holds rime well; respect the wind chill on this exposed top.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Carn Garbh. 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 The Northwest Highlands ↗ 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

Glasgow6h 52m
Edinburgh6h 50m

OS maps: OS Landranger 17, OS Explorer 444W

Mobile signal: Poor. Dead zone—no networks reach this remote Sutherland plateau.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 18mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:42
Sunset: 19:40
Civil dawn: 06:02
Civil dusk: 20:20

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 September 2026

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Around Carn Garbh on the SCOT network

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

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Helmsdale station

Far North coast; Strath of Kildonan; Flow Country gateway

13km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Clynelish

Brora — waxy, coastal-Highland classic on the Far North line

10km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

Carn Garbh — common questions

Is Carn Garbh a hard climb?: Carn Garbh is rated 2/5 (moderate) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Terrain: Block-strewn sandstone tops the hill, awkward to walk on and worse in rain.
How prominent is Carn Garbh?: Carn Garbh has 167m of topographic prominence — the height of its summit above the highest col connecting it to higher ground. Marilyns are defined by that measure: at least 150m of drop on all sides.
When should I climb Carn Garbh?: The standard good-weather months for Carn Garbh are March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October. Outside those months, expect winter conditions on the high ground — full mountain kit, navigation skills, and a check of the SAIS avalanche forecast for the relevant region.
Can I bring my dog up Carn Garbh?: On a lead only — the route crosses ground with livestock or nesting-bird interest.
What's mobile reception like on Carn Garbh?: Poor. Dead zone—no networks reach this remote Sutherland plateau.
Is Carn Garbh safe in winter?: Iced blocks on the summit make the top genuinely awkward in winter. The sandstone holds rime well; respect the wind chill on this exposed top.

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