The hills are named due to their resemblance to the fingers of a hand. They are the highest of the Galloway Hills and the Southern Uplands with the highest hill, Merrick, reaching 843m. There is a considerable (approx. 56m) difference in height between Merrick and the next highest hill, Kirriereoch Hill; as a result there are a number of hill ranges in the Southern Uplands which would otherwise be higher. The terrain is a mix of both ranges to the east in that the higher, flatter ground is on short grass but the slopes and cols are craggy and occasionally boggy. A number of smaller hills dot the broader, northern side of the ridge as it does not terminate as definitively as the neighbouring ridges.