The beautiful and distinctive outline of Ben Rinnes (840m, 2775ft) is one of the best loved landmarks in Banffshire. Its broad ridges offer fine walking on high moorland and granite reminiscent of its nearby relatives, the Cairngorms. From the granite tors of its summit the views in all directions are superb, ranging far over the Moray Firth to the hills of Sutherland and Caithness in the north and Lochnagar, the Cairngorms and Monadhliath in the south and west.
Some of the lower slopes have been afforested, but higher up the land has been managed for grouse. At different levels, roe deer and mountain hare are to be seen and a colony of ptarmigan live in the summit area.
The hill is not steeped in history, but the name Baby’s Hill (2436ft) known locally as Baby’s Moss, comes from the burial of a local lass in less tolerant times. Like so many Scottish hills, Ben Rinnes is the site of a second world war aircraft crash.
