Creag Dhubh

Creag Dhubh rises above Newtonmore in the central Highlands, a dark crag of schist between Glen Banchor and the River Calder to the north and the River Spey valley to the south. Its steep, craggy slopes and complex ridgeline make the walk a challenge even though the summit is only 756 metres high. From the top, the views stretch across Strathspey to the Corrieyairack and Creag Meagaidh. Every year the Newtonmore Highland Games include the Creag Dhubh Hill race. Runners start and finish with a lap of the shinty pitch at The Eilan, cross the River Calder and the A82, then climb the eastern flank to the first summit, An Torr, before returning by the same route. Since 2024 a trophy named for Tom Robertson is given to the first woman to finish the course. Tom organised the games for more than forty years. On the southern flanks above Lochan Uvie are schist cliffs used by climbers. UK Climbing calls them one of Scotland’s biggest and finest roadside crags, with a south-facing aspect that dries quickly after rain. Near the top of these cliffs lies Cluny’s Cave, where Ewan Macpherson of Clan Macpherson hid after the Battle of Culloden in 1745. The cave is hard to spot among the rocks, bracken and heather on the steep slope.