Munro · Central Highlands
Carn Dearg
Carn Dearg (945m) is red-tinged, a stony, cairn-topped hill in the rolling moorland of the Central Highlands. With 591m of prominence it stands well apart from its neighbours, a genuinely isolated summit that demands a dedicated day. The summit, marked by a cairn, gives views of wide panoramas across the Highland interior toward the Cairngorms and the west coast. The nearest town is Inverness in Highland.
Gaelic: “stony, cairn-topped hill, red” · Pronunciation: karn jerr-ak
Quick facts
- Height
- 945m/ 3103ft
- Distance
- 16 km
- Ascent
- 832 m
- Time
- 4.6 hrs
- Difficulty
- 4 / 5Strenuous
- Grid ref
- NH635023
- Parking
- NN410941
- Nearest city
- Inverness
Download GPX route file
Standard route · 16km
Standard route
The standard route is a longer walk with a gradual approach covering approximately 16km with 832m of total ascent — a full day on the hill. Lower slopes cross blanket bog, rough grass and heather on broad open moor. Higher up, the terrain changes to rounded summits of peat and short grass, occasionally rocky. Stalkers' paths and landrover tracks provide the main access — above them, the ground is open and featureless. The summit is marked by a cairn.
Terrain
Above 700m the ground is fully exposed to weather from all directions. Stalkers' paths and landrover tracks provide the main access — above them, the ground is open and featureless. The hill's high prominence means the approach involves significant re-ascent — there are no easy shortcuts from neighbouring peaks.
In winter
In winter, Carn Dearg is a serious proposition. Exposed to persistent cold winds. Snow cover is less reliable than the west but drifting can be severe on the open plateau. Short winter days mean an early start is essential, particularly on longer routes.
Best time of year
Getting there
- Glasgow3h 55m
- Edinburgh3h 2m
OS maps: OS Landranger 35
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 05:44
- Sunset
- 20:46
- Civil dawn
- 04:59
- Civil dusk
- 21:31
NOAA Solar Calculator · 25 April 2026