Munro · Central Highlands
Carn Liath
Càrn Liath (1006m) — "grey hill" — is the eastern Munro of the Creag Meagaidh group above Loch Laggan, paired with Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Creag Meagaidh itself in a classic three-Munro horseshoe round of the famous Coire Ardair. The hill is the first summit reached on the standard round, with its east shoulder dropping directly to the Aberarder car park on the A86. The summit itself is a featureless broad area with a substantial cairn.
Gaelic: “cairn-topped hill, grey” · Pronunciation: karn lee-ah
Quick facts
- Height
- 1006.1m/ 3301ft
- Prominence
- 87 m
- Distance
- 17 km
- Ascent
- 885 m
- Time
- 5–8 hrs
- Grid ref
- NN472903
- Parking
- NN483872
- Nearest city
- Fort William· 40km
- 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
Old Blair track 30% · Open hillside 40% · Summit 30%
Park at the NNR car park at Aberarder beside the A86 above Loch Laggan. Take the path north-east up the lower glen, then branch east up the steep east shoulder of Càrn Liath onto its broad summit plateau. Continue west along the broad connecting ridge to Stob Poite Coire Ardair, across The Window, and on to Creag Meagaidh — the classic horseshoe. Descend down the same path to Aberarder. Roughly 21km in distance and 1300m of climb for the three-Munro horseshoe.
Terrain
The Aberarder approach path is restored stone pitching through the lower glen. The climb up the east shoulder of Càrn Liath is steep heathery hillside with a faint braided path. The summit plateau is broad mossy turf with the cairn at the high point. The connecting ridge west is broad and easy, descending steadily to The Window col. Càrn Liath is the most northerly point of the round and gets the brunt of weather from the north-west.
In winter
Part of the major Creag Meagaidh winter mountaineering area. Càrn Liath itself is the most benign of the three Munros on the horseshoe but the round as a whole is committing. The Window col is a notorious avalanche slope after westerly storms. North-side cornicing builds consistently along the ridges through winter. SAIS Creag Meagaidh applies and is the most widely consulted forecast in the area. The A86 corridor is gritted.
This hill is in the Creag Meagaidh SAIS forecast area. Check SAIS forecasts in winter (December–April).
Best time of year
Getting there
- Glasgow3h 40m
- Edinburgh3h 59m
OS maps: OS Landranger 34
Mobile signal: Signal vanishes above 700m on the Beinn a' Ghlo plateau. Blair Atholl has reasonable 4G. Save your maps before the trip up the Old Blair road.
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 04:59
- Sunset
- 21:50
- Civil dawn
- 04:04
- Civil dusk
- 22:45
NOAA Solar Calculator · 23 July 2026
On a long-distance route
Carn Liath sits within 5km of these named long-distance walks — useful for trail-pack rest days or section extensions.
Around Carn Liath on the SCOT network
Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.
Getting there: Dalwhinnie station
Highest mainline station; Drumochter Munros; Ben Alder approach
17km from the hill
tripscot.co.uk
On TripSCOTBase yourself in Fort William
Ben Nevis base, West Highland Line, gateway to Lochaber
40km from the hill
tripscot.co.uk
On TasteSCOTAfter the hill: Dalwhinnie
Dalwhinnie — Scotland's highest distillery on the Drumochter pass
17km from the hill
tastescot.co.uk
Carn Liath — common questions
- How hard is Carn Liath?
- We grade Carn Liath at 4/5, which puts it in challenging territory. The usual route is around 17km with 885m of climbing; allow 5-8 hours. Underfoot: The Aberarder approach path is restored stone pitching through the lower glen.
- What is Carn Liath's prominence?
- 87m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Carn Liath to the next higher ground.
- Where do I park for Carn Liath?
- Most walkers start from NN483872. Verify the grid reference on an OS map before you set off — space is tight on busy summer weekends.
- When is the best time to climb Carn Liath?
- May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Carn Liath. 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 Carn Liath 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 Carn Liath?
- Signal vanishes above 700m on the Beinn a' Ghlo plateau. Blair Atholl has reasonable 4G. Save your maps before the trip up the Old Blair road.
- Is Carn Liath safe in winter?
- Part of the major Creag Meagaidh winter mountaineering area. Càrn Liath itself is the most benign of the three Munros on the horseshoe but the round as a whole is committing. The Window col is a notorious avalanche slope after westerly storms. North-side cornicing builds consistently along the ridges through winter. SAIS Creag Meagaidh applies and is the most widely consulted forecast in the area. The A86 corridor is gritted.
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