What difficulty is Fourman Hill?

On the OutdoorSCOT scale, Fourman Hill comes in at 1/5 — easy. Underfoot: Farm tracks lead onto sheep-grazed grass and short heather.

What is Fourman Hill's prominence?

229m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Fourman 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 Fourman Hill?

March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Fourman 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 Fourman 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: Steven Brown / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Marilyn · Cairngorms

Fourman Hill

A modest 344m heather hill rising above the rolling farmland between Huntly and the Moray Firth coast at Cullen. The top sports a war memorial and gives a wonderfully open horizon over Strathisla and the firth — one of the quieter viewpoints in this part of Banffshire.

Quick facts

Height: 344m/ 1129ft
Prominence: 229 m
Difficulty: 1 / 5Easy
Grid ref: NJ 57090 45802
Nearest city: Aberdeen· 54km
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 70% · grass slopes 20% · summit area 10%

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Elevation profile coming with the GPX track

A short walk-in from the minor road south of Cornhill village, climbing through farmland onto open heather. Around 3km return with 150m of ascent; ninety minutes is comfortable.

Terrain

Farm tracks lead onto sheep-grazed grass and short heather. The summit area is dry and broad with a war memorial cairn at the top.

In winter

Snow clears quickly from these low Banffshire hills but the exposed top is whipped by north-easterly winds. A useful winter quick-tick on cold, settled days.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Fourman 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 Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath ↗ 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 48m
Edinburgh4h 11m

OS maps: OS Landranger 29, OS Explorer 425S

Mobile signal: Coverage is solid; EE behaves well. Fine Moray and Aberdeenshire views.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 15mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:38
Sunset: 19:35
Civil dawn: 05:59
Civil dusk: 20:14

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 September 2026

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Around Fourman Hill on the SCOT network

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

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Dufftown

Speyside whisky town in the eastern Cairngorms

25km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Strathisla

Keith — postcard-pretty Speysider and the heart of Chivas Regal

15km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

Fourman Hill — common questions

What difficulty is Fourman Hill?: On the OutdoorSCOT scale, Fourman Hill comes in at 1/5 — easy. Underfoot: Farm tracks lead onto sheep-grazed grass and short heather.
What is Fourman Hill's prominence?: 229m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Fourman 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 Fourman Hill?: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Fourman 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 Fourman 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 Fourman Hill?: Coverage is solid; EE behaves well. Fine Moray and Aberdeenshire views.
Is Fourman Hill safe in winter?: Snow clears quickly from these low Banffshire hills but the exposed top is whipped by north-easterly winds. A useful winter quick-tick on cold, settled days.

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