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
- 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).
No GPX track yet
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Standard route
heather moorland 70% · grass slopes 20% · summit area 10%
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.
This hill is in the Northern Cairngorms SAIS forecast area. Check SAIS forecasts in winter (December–April).
Best time of year
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
- Sunrise
- 05:02
- Sunset
- 21:32
- Civil dawn
- 04:09
- Civil dusk
- 22:26
NOAA Solar Calculator · 30 July 2026
Around Fourman Hill on the SCOT network
Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.
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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