Hill list · Southern Scotland

The Donalds

All 89 of them, tallest first. The 2,000 ft hills of the Scottish Lowlands, on an unusually intricate rule.

Data compiled by Ryan — sources and method

On the list: 89
Highest: Merrick 843 m
Lowest: Innerdownie 610 m
Mean height: 693 m
Total re-ascent: 15,693 m
Hill regions: 7

Total re-ascent adds up the drop to each hill's key col — the climbing you cannot avoid if you visit every summit on the list. It is a floor, not a round total: it counts nothing for walking in, and nothing for the ground between one hill and the next.

What counts as a Donald

Hills of at least 2,000 feet (609.6 m) in the Scottish Lowlands — chiefly the Southern Uplands. The qualifying test is idiosyncratic: it combines drop with distance from the nearest higher ground, rather than applying a single prominence threshold.

Compiled by Percy Donald and published in the 1930s, and maintained by the Scottish Mountaineering Club. It is the oldest of the Lowland lists and the only major British list whose rule mixes separation-by-distance with drop, which is why its membership cannot be reproduced from a prominence filter alone.

OpenFell holds every GB member of this list. Heights, drops and grid references are the surveyed figures from the Database of British & Irish Hills, not the round numbers printed in older guidebooks — so a hill occasionally sits a metre either side of where you expect it.

What else the Donalds count for

Most British hills appear on more than one list, so a single walk often ticks several boxes at once. Of the 89 Donalds:

23 also appear on Grahams.
7 also appear on Corbetts.
7 also appear on Historic county tops.
1 also appear on Nuttalls.
1 also appear on Hewitts.

Counted against the other lists OpenFell holds in full. Lists the site carries only part of — Marilyns, HuMPs, Simms and the rest — are left out rather than reported as a fraction of themselves.

Where they are

They span Scotland, with one sitting astride the England–Scotland border itself. The list spreads across 7 hill-survey regions, concentrated in The River Tweed to the English Border.

Donalds by hill-survey region
Region	Donalds	Share
The River Tweed to the English Border	38	42.7%
Carrick and Galloway	19	21.3%
The Glenkens to Annandale	18	20.2%
Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	7	7.9%
Firth of Forth to the River Tweed	5	5.6%
Ayr to the River Clyde	1	1.1%
Northumberland	1	1.1%

How the heights fall

Donalds grouped into 100 m height bands
Height band	Hills	Share of the list
800–900 m	9	10%
700–800 m	21	24%
600–700 m	59	66%

All 89 Donalds, tallest first

Every Donald, sorted by height descending
#	Hill	Height	Drop	Region	Also	Grid ref
1	Merrick	843 m	705 m	Carrick and Galloway	CorbettHistoric County Top+4	NX427855
2	Broad Law	840 m	654 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	CorbettHistoric County Top+3	NT146235
3	Cramalt Craig	830 m	147 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT168247
4	White Coomb	822 m	375 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	CorbettHistoric County Top+3	NT163150
5	Dollar Law	817 m	70 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT178278
6	Corserine	814 m	488 m	Carrick and Galloway	CorbettMarilyn+2	NX497870
7	Hart Fell	808 m	200 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	CorbettMarilyn+2	NT113135
8	Carlin's Cairn	807 m	99 m	Carrick and Galloway	Simm	NX496883
9	Lochcraig Head	801 m	108 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT166177
10	Cairnsmore of Carsphairn	797 m	582 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	CorbettMarilyn+2	NX594980
11	Kirriereoch Hill	787 m	150 m	Carrick and Galloway	MarilynHuMP+1	NX420869
12	Molls Cleuch Dod	785 m	39 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT151179
13	Shalloch on Minnoch	774 m	194 m	Carrick and Galloway	CorbettMarilyn+2	NX407905
14	Meikle Millyea	749 m	121 m	Carrick and Galloway	HuMPSimm	NX516825
15	Culter Fell	748 m	350 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	GrahamHistoric County Top+3	NT052290
16	Under Saddle Yoke	745 m	128 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT142126
17	Dun Rig	744 m	243 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	GrahamHistoric County Top+3	NT253315
18	Milldown	738 m	90 m	Carrick and Galloway	Simm	NX511839
19	Pykestone Hill	737 m	131 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT173312
20	Green Lowther	732 m	424 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	GrahamMarilyn+2	NS900120
21	Glenrath Heights	732 m	87 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT241322
22	Swatte Fell	730 m	36 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT118113
23	Lowther Hill	725 m	37 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	Simm	NS890107
24	Cape Law	722 m	93 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT131150
25	Ben Cleuch	721 m	595 m	Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	GrahamHistoric County Top+3	NN902006
26	Middle Hill	717 m	42 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT159294
27	Lamachan Hill	717 m	453 m	Carrick and Galloway	GrahamMarilyn+2	NX435769
28	Tinto	712 m	443 m	Ayr to the River Clyde	GrahamMarilyn+2	NS953343
29	Cairnsmore of Fleet	711 m	522 m	Carrick and Galloway	GrahamMarilyn+2	NX501670
30	Blackcraig Hill	701 m	235 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	GrahamMarilyn+2	NS647064
31	Garelet Dod	698 m	126 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT125172
32	Black Law	698 m	103 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT222279
33	Chapelgill Hill	698 m	109 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT067303
34	Windy Standard	698 m	212 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	GrahamMarilyn+2	NS620014
35	Queensberry	697 m	363 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	GrahamMarilyn+2	NX989997
36	Tarfessock	696 m	69 m	Carrick and Galloway	Simm	NX409891
37	Meaul	695 m	74 m	Carrick and Galloway	Simm	NX500909
38	Mullwharchar	692 m	187 m	Carrick and Galloway	GrahamMarilyn+2	NX454866
39	Ettrick Pen	692 m	356 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	GrahamMarilyn+2	NT199076
40	Ballencleuch Law	691 m	204 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	GrahamMarilyn+2	NS935049
41	Talla Cleuch Head	691 m	63 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT133218
42	Erie Hill	690 m	92 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT124187
43	Loch Fell	688 m	126 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT170047
44	Gathersnow Hill	688 m	210 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	GrahamMarilyn+2	NT058256
45	Blacklorg Hill	681 m	148 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	HuMPSimm	NS653042
46	Capel Fell	678 m	159 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	GrahamMarilyn+2	NT163069
47	Andrewhinney Hill	677 m	194 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	GrahamMarilyn+2	NT197138
48	Dun Law	677 m	105 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	HuMPSimm	NS916136
49	Larg Hill	676 m	72 m	Carrick and Galloway	Simm	NX424757
50	Stob Law	676 m	67 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT230332
51	Curleywee	674 m	120 m	Carrick and Galloway	HuMPSimm	NX454769
52	Wedder Law	673 m	139 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	HuMPSimm	NS938025
53	Gana Hill	668 m	117 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	HuMPSimm	NS954010
54	Drumelzier Law	668 m	97 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT149312
55	Uamh Bheag	666 m	325 m	Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	GrahamMarilyn+2	NN691118
56	Wind Fell	665 m	92 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT178061
57	Scaw'd Law	664 m	58 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	Simm	NS922037
58	Bodesbeck Law	664 m	101 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT169104
59	Birkscairn Hill	661 m	62 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT274331
60	Windlestraw Law	659 m	460 m	Firth of Forth to the River Tweed	GrahamMarilyn+2	NT371430
61	Cairnsgarroch	659 m	105 m	Carrick and Galloway	HuMPSimm	NX515913
62	Millfore	657 m	250 m	Carrick and Galloway	GrahamMarilyn+2	NX478754
63	Hillshaw Head	652 m	54 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT048246
64	Blackhope Scar	652 m	283 m	Firth of Forth to the River Tweed	GrahamHistoric County Top+3	NT315483
65	Moorbrock Hill	651 m	113 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	HuMPSimm	NX620983
66	King's Seat Hill	648 m	135 m	Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	HuMPSimm	NS933999
67	Craignaw	646 m	151 m	Carrick and Galloway	GrahamMarilyn+2	NX459833
68	Tarmangie Hill	645 m	78 m	Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	Simm	NN942014
69	Comb Law	645 m	59 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	Simm	NS943073
70	Greenside Law	643 m	77 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT197256
71	Alhang	642 m	91 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	Simm	NS642010
72	Whitehope Heights	637 m	109 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT095139
73	Croft Head	636 m	194 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	GrahamMarilyn+2	NT153056
74	Blairdenon Hill	632 m	95 m	Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	Simm	NN865018
75	Beinn nan Eun	631 m	142 m	Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	HuMPSimm	NN723131
76	East Mount Lowther	631 m	76 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	Simm	NS878099
77	Bowbeat Hill	626 m	78 m	Firth of Forth to the River Tweed	Simm	NT292469
78	Hudderstone	626 m	111 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	HuMPSimm	NT022271
79	Coran of Portmark · Corran of Portmark	623 m	61 m	Carrick and Galloway	Simm	NX509936
80	Whitehope Law	623 m	66 m	Firth of Forth to the River Tweed	Simm	NT330445
81	Dundreich	623 m	68 m	Firth of Forth to the River Tweed	Simm	NT274490
82	Bell Craig	623 m	47 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT186128
83	Dungeon Hill	621 m	116 m	Carrick and Galloway	HuMPSimm	NX460850
84	Lousie Wood Law · Louise Wood Law	619 m	123 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	HuMPSimm	NS932152
85	Windy Gyle	619 m	113 m	Northumberland	HewittNuttall+2	NT855152
86	Cauldcleuch Head	619 m	256 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	GrahamMarilyn+2	NT456006
87	Herman Law	614 m	31 m	The River Tweed to the English Border	Simm	NT213156
88	Earncraig Hill	611 m	109 m	The Glenkens to Annandale	HuMPSimm	NS973013
89	Innerdownie	610 m	52 m	Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose	Simm	NN966031

Hill data from the Database of British & Irish Hills v18.3 (CC BY 4.0). Drop is the descent to the hill's key col; a dash means it is not recorded in our dataset. Follow any name for grid references to ten figures, access rights, live summit weather and today's daylight.

Before you go

Plan

The Donalds

What counts as a Donald

What else the Donalds count for

Where they are

How the heights fall

All 89 Donalds, tallest first

Before you go

Walking-time calculator

Daylight safety planner

Can I walk or camp here?

The other hill lists