10 easiest Munro routes
Just starting hillwalking, visiting Scotland's hills for the first time or just looking for a quick afternoon walk ?
Below are 10 of the most straightforward Munro routes. All of the routes have very obvious paths to their Munro summits and on some it is possible to continue further and bag more peaks.
Click on the names to get more information, including maps, routes, photos and links to longer walks.
The Cairnwell and Carn Aosda
The easiest Munros. Suprisingly good views !
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ascent
distance
time
start/finish
map
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430m (1,400ft)
5km (3m)
2hr
Glenshee ski-centre
(NO 139 782)
OS Landranger 43
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Leave the car-park at the Glenshee ski centre and head up the track behind the main building. Follow the track under the ski-tow heading north, this continues to just under Carn Aosda's summit. Leave Carn Aosda and follow the track around the top of the ski-tows to the Cairnwell's summit with it's buildings and masts.
To return, head back down to the top of the chairlift, then follow the tow down back to the car-park.
Click here for more route options
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Meall nan Tarmachan
The most easterly peak on a fine ridge walk
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ascent
distance
time
start/finish
map
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700m (2,300ft)
7km (4.5m)
3hr
½km north-west of Ben Lawers Visitor Centre
(NN 602 388)
OS Landranger 51
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6km east of Killin along Loch Tay, there is a road aiming north up to the Ben Lawers Visitor Centre - ½km, beyond this there is a bridge with an area to park cars. Leave this and head south-west for ½km, where a small cairn marks a well constructed path up over heather. The path continues gently uphill, through a gate in a deer-fence, then shortly after turns north to continue up over a minor summit. Follow the path downhill a for few metres, then over a stile and up short steep section to flatten out and switchback up to the summit cairn.
Return the same way, or click here for the route along the rest of the ridge, the Hill Race route and other route options.
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Carn Liath on Beinn a'Ghlo
Mighty Beinn a'Ghlo's southerly peak - fine paths up severe erosion
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ascent
distance
time
start/finish
map
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640m (2,100ft)
8km (5m)
3hr
End of road heading ne from Blair Atholl
(NN 906 671)
OS Landranger 43
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From the end of the public road by Loch Moraig, through a gate and follow a track for 2km to a couple of old huts. Leave the track, cross the fence, then some wet ground, and continue following a path alongside a dyke. When the path leaves the dyke, the ascent steepens. Higher up the path zig-zags through the boulders and scree - this is the scar that is so obvious from the south
Flatter ground is reached, then a cairn is reached, this is not the summit, but it is not much further.
Return the same way or click here for the route along the rest of the mountain and other route options.
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Ben Chonzie
An easy summer's afternoon walk
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ascent
distance
time
start/finish
map
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750m (2,450ft)
12km (7.5m)
4hr 15min
Coishavachan 7km up Glen Lednock
(NN 743 243)
OS Landranger 51 or
OS Landranger 52
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By the Deil's Cauldron pub in Comrie, a road heads north up into Glen Lednock, where 7km up there is a small car-park with an information board. Follow the track to the houses, turn right, through a gate, over a cattle grid and go around the back of the houses. Continue along this track, past a small dam, over a little burn to a junction - keep straight on and continue to the end of the track, where just beyond you'll meet up with some fence posts. Turn left and follow the posts north-west, then north-east right to the large cairn on the summit.
Return the same way or click here for the Glen Turret route and other route options.
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Cairngorm
One of Scotland's highest mountains, yet so easy !
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ascent
distance
time
start/finish
map
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625m (2,050ft)
6.5km (4m)
2hr 40min
Cairngorm Ski Centre
(NH 990 060)
OS Landranger 36
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From the Cairngorm Ski Centre, head up the main track following the funicular to The Ptarmigan Restaurant.
A well constructed path with posts and rope on either side heads towards the summit. Once the last of the posts is passed, a series of cairns mark the route to the summit cairn and the automatic weather station just behind.
Return the same way or click here for other longer routes over more Cairngorm peaks.
Beware - due to this mountain's height and location, conditions can change dramatically, even in summer !
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Schiehallion
A landmark mountain with stunning views !
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ascent
distance
time
start/finish
map
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765m (2,500ft)
9km (5.5m)
3hr 30min
Braes of Foss on Schiehallion Road
(NN 753 757)
OS Landranger 51
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From the car-park follow the new path south, then west up and around the back of the mountain. The constructed path climbs up to 850m, thereafter progress is on vague paths mainly over boulder fields along Schiehallion's east arm. The summit is slabby and narrow, and views are spectacular.
Return the same way.
Click here for more info and corbett peaks nearby.
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Mount Keen
The most easterly munro - use of a mountain-bike is recommended
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ascent
distance
time
start/finish
map
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685m (2,250ft)
16km (10m)
5hr 10min
Near end of public road in Glen Esk
(NO 474 804)
OS Landranger 44
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Leave the car-park and cycle over a bridge, then turn right up a track towards a house, turn left just before the house, through a gate. Follow this track for 4km to the house at Glenmark and unless you've got powerful thighs, leave bikes there. Cross two burns (some difficulty in spate), then head uphill on the track to a cairn at 670m. A newly constructed path continues directly to the summit.
Return the same way. Click here for more route options and nearby Mount Battock.
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Driesh and Mayar
The easy quick route avoiding the steep coires
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ascent
distance
time
start/finish
map
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825m (2,700ft)
13km (8m)
4hr 40min
Car park at end of Glen Clova
(NO 284 761)
OS Landranger 44
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After leaving the large pay-and-display car-park, follow the main track past the farm, through a gate to a junction. Turn left, over a bridge, then turn right keeping on the main track to continue to a sharp turn, look for a path directly uphill. Follow this path, which crosses the track and heads uphill through recently felled forest, over the Burn of Kilbo and up to 800, where a cairn marks a path off left heading to the bealach then to the summit of Driesh. Return to the bealach, then continue following fence posts east to a sign - don't follow the sign - continue further east on the path to Mayar.
Return to the bealach, then back down the way up.
Click here for more route options.
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Ben Lomond
Can be very busy, but the views are superb
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ascent
distance
time
start/finish
map
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975m (3,200ft)
11km (7m)
4hr 20min
Car-park at Rowardennan
(NS 360 987)
OS Landranger 56
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From the car-park at Rowardennan, walk past the toilets and ranger centre to the start of the path. With the huge amount of boot traffic, the path is constantly being repaired or getting some maintenance. The route is therefore very obvious - just follow the path to the summit trig point.
Return the same way or click here for alternatives.
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Ben Vorlich (Loch Earn)
One of my favourite hills - lovely route and fine views
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ascent
distance
time
start/finish
map
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885m (2,900ft)
8km (5m)
3hr 30min
Ardvorlich on Loch Earn
(NN 633 232)
OS Landranger 51 and
OS Landranger 57
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A popular hill with restricted parking, especially at weekends when the fishing season is full swing. From Ardvorlich on the south shore of Loch Earn, head up a track towards the main house, just before which a sign will direct you up in the direction of Ben Vorlich. Continue following this track up to a bridge, where a recently improved path takes over. Follow this path uphill, it becomes more erroded, but continues all the way to the summit.
Return the same way or click here for other routes, including the scramble up Stuc a'Chroin and the Stuc a'Chroin hillrace route.
Click here for to see my 10th compleation on Ben Vorlich.<-->
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Times are calculated using Naismith's rule : 4km/h distance + 600m/h ascent
Other fairly easy munros that just missed out being in the list of the 10 easiest munros are :
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Ben Wyvis above Dingwall
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Ben Hope in the far north
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Ben More on Mull
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Glas Tulaichean from Spittal of Glenshee
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Meall Chuach east of Dalwhinnie
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Geal-charn south of Dalwhinnie
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Beinn na Lap above Loch Ossian
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Beinn Ghlas & Ben Lawers above Loch Tay
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Important note
Although the munros listed are considered easy, it should be noted that conditions on all Scottish hills can change rapidly, therefore never head out under-equiped. Always carry a relevant map and compass and know how to use them !
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