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The top of Creag Leacach: tumbled pinkish slabs and the stub of a drystone wall, a green ridge running away below under big white clouds.
Glenshee, Lochnagar and Glen Clova

Creag Leacach

A Munro of 988 metres, number 158 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Creag Leacach rises on the east side of the A93 in Glenshee, on the line between Angus and Perth and Kinross, and looks down over the Devil's Elbow.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority gives its Gaelic name as A' Chreag Leacach, the slabby crag, or crag abounding in slabs. The guide Steve Fallon writes of its boulder-strewn crest above grassy slopes, linked to higher Glas Maol, its neighbour about two and a half kilometres to the north-east.

The Glenshee ski centre names it among its nine Munros, in its East Glenshee 6 with Glas Maol, Cairn of Claise, Càrn an Tuirc, Tolmount and Tom Buidhe. Together the nine make the Glenshee 9, also a hill race.

Starts from
The car park south of the Devil's Elbow on the A93, which the park authority says walkers use for this hill and Glas Maol. It is a mile south of the ski centre's own.
The ground
In the ski season the ski centre has a Glas Maol Route for walkers east of the A93, which may change: ask its ski patrol on the day. Invercauld Estate counts the ski centre as on its ground: check for stalking before you go.
Summit
Grid reference NO 154 745
Car park
South of the Devil's Elbow, on the A93 south of the Cairnwell. The Cairngorms National Park Authority names it as the car park walkers use for Glas Maol and Creag Leacach.
Toilets and food
At the ski centre, a mile north, the toilets are open at all hours and the café, Tea@TheShee, is at the car park. In 2026 the centre's car park was free for the first 50 minutes (the first hour, by its summer page), then £4 for the day.
The road
The councils work snow gates on the A93 at the Spittal of Glenshee and at Braemar. After heavy snow the centre warns of delays at them while the road is cleared.
On the hill today
−1° to 5°Drizzle on the summit, 988 m. Feels like −4° in the wind.

North-west wind to 13 mph, gusting 30
Rain, about 1 mm
Light from 7.47am to 6.10pm, ten hours

Sat 17Drizzle−2° to 4° on top · 9 mph, gusts 21
Sun 18Mostly clear−4° to 4° on top · 9 mph, gusts 16
Mon 19Drizzle−6° to 6° on top · 10 mph, gusts 20

A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: Southeastern Highlands forecast, Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath forecast, Creag Leacach, Southern Cairngorms avalanche forecast.

October2026

MTWTFSS

Going another day?

Choose the day you mean to climb.Near or far: the light you will have, and what the summit is likely to be doing.

The drystone wall on the top of Creag Leacach with an old iron post standing above it against a blue sky.

Photographs by David Andrews and Alasdair Taylor, via Google

Walking and Hiking can be dangerous and all walkers must take responsibility for their own safety.Glenshee Snowsports Centre, of the Munros within reach of its car parks
Before you go

Carry

  • A paper map and a compass, and the skill to use them
  • Waterproofs, warm layers, hat and gloves
  • Food and drink
  • A head torch, a whistle and a first aid kit
  • A survival bag
  • Boots with a good grip

Under snow and ice this is a different day, with short light and the risk of avalanche. It needs an ice axe, crampons, winter boots and the skill to use them.

If something goes wrong

  • Dial 999, ask for the police, then mountain rescue
  • Give a six-figure grid reference: the summit is NO 154 745
  • Say how many are hurt, how many are with you, and your number
  • Register to text 999 before the day: text the word register to 999

The summit is optional. Turning back is the right decision whenever the cloud, the wind or the light say so.

How to call for help in the hills · Safety and skills for the hills · ThinkWINTER

From our readers

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From the magazine
Read more elsewhere

For the route itself, take the map and read these.

Sleep and eat at its foot

Next along: Glas Maol, The Cairnwell, Carn Aosda, Carn a' Gheoidh. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are the Cairngorms National Park Authority's, Glenshee Snowsports Centre's and Invercauld Estate's; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's, the Met Office's and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service's. Height and position from The Database of British and Irish Hills, v18.3, adapted, CC BY 4.0. This page is not a route description and does not replace a map.