What difficulty is Knock Hill?

On the OutdoorSCOT scale, Knock Hill comes in at 1/5 — easy. Ground conditions: Sheep-cropped grass and a clear track.

How much drop does Knock Hill have?

The drop is 303m: measured from the summit of Knock Hill down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain. Passing the 150m-drop threshold on all sides is exactly what makes it a Marilyn.

What's the best month to climb Knock Hill?

Aim for March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October on Knock Hill. In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.

Can dogs go up Knock Hill?

Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.

By Gary

Photo: Ralph Greig / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Marilyn · Cairngorms

Knock Hill

A 430m isolated lump rising above the rolling farmland of north-east Aberdeenshire between Keith and Huntly. The position out in the open arable country gives the summit trig an unusually wide horizon — Bennachie, the Cairngorm plateau and the Moray Firth all visible on a clear day.

Quick facts

Height: 430m/ 1411ft
Prominence: 303 m
Difficulty: 1 / 5Easy
Grid ref: NJ 53708 55145
Nearest city: Aberdeen· 63km
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 65% · grass slopes 25% · rocky summit 10%

GPX needed

Elevation profile coming with the GPX track

A short, sharp pull from the road at NJ535540, with about 200m of ascent on a clear track and grassy hillside. Allow ninety minutes for the 3km round trip — perhaps the quickest Marilyn in the north-east.

Terrain

Sheep-cropped grass and a clear track. The summit area is broad and grassy with a triangulation pillar and a small mast. No bog to speak of.

In winter

Easy in light snow but the exposed summit catches the full force of north-easterly gales howling off the Moray Firth. A good winter quick-tick when bigger hills are out.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Knock 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 52m
Edinburgh4h 21m

OS maps: OS Landranger 29, OS Explorer 425N

Mobile signal: Good. Both EE and Vodafone reliable on this exposed Banffshire summit.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 16mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:39
Sunset: 19:35
Civil dawn: 05:59
Civil dusk: 20:15

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 September 2026

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Around Knock 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

26km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Strathisla

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

11km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

Knock Hill — common questions

What difficulty is Knock Hill?: On the OutdoorSCOT scale, Knock Hill comes in at 1/5 — easy. Ground conditions: Sheep-cropped grass and a clear track.
How much drop does Knock Hill have?: The drop is 303m: measured from the summit of Knock Hill down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain. Passing the 150m-drop threshold on all sides is exactly what makes it a Marilyn.
What's the best month to climb Knock Hill?: Aim for March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October on Knock Hill. In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.
Can dogs go up Knock Hill?: Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.
Will I get phone signal on Knock Hill?: Good. Both EE and Vodafone reliable on this exposed Banffshire summit.
Is Knock Hill safe in winter?: Easy in light snow but the exposed summit catches the full force of north-easterly gales howling off the Moray Firth. A good winter quick-tick when bigger hills are out.

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