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Munros
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Meall nan Aighean (981m, Munro 169)
Carn Mairg (1041m, Munro 91)
Meall Garbh (968m, Munro 186)
Carn Gorm (1029m, Munro 103)
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Corbetts
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Beinn Dearg* (830m)
*see Alternative Routes below
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Ascent
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1450m (4,700ft)
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Distance
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17km (10.5m)
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Time
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walking : 6:40hr, running : 3hr
*Naismith's rule : 4km/h distance + 600m/h ascent
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Main route summary
These four Munros lie in the heart of Tayside, sandwiched betweet Glen Lyon and Rannoch.
Though not as high as their neighbours in the Lawers group, or as visually attractive as Schiehallion immediately to the north, they have a character of their own with some interesting features.
Fine views are had from all of the summits, with the views west from Carn Gorm to Meall Ghaordie and beyond, and north from Meall Garbh to Alder and Drumochter being particularly worthy.
I find the circuit is best done anti-clockwise as, for the most part, you'll face the westerly mountainous views, unlike the more flat distant ground that is viewed to the east.
Access into the area is via a track in from Invervar.
The area has been the focus of access issues in the recent past, with the most recent being the problems potentially caused by the proposed plans for a hydro scheme.
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profile
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location
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start/finish
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Invervar in Glen Lyon
(grid ref : NN666482)
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maps/guides
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GPX data
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download GPX file of this route
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| terrain |
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easy |
| difficult |
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| navigation |
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easy |
| testing |
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| effort |
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stroll |
| long day |
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| scenery |
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ok |
| stunning |
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| meanings |
Meall nan Aighean :
'hill of the heifers or hinds'
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Carn Mairg :
'hill of rust'
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Meall Garbh :
'rough hill'
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Carn Gorm :
'blue hill'
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Beinn Dearg :
'red hill'
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| main route outline | print route |
Getting there
From the A9, head on the A827 to Grandtully. Drive over the bridge to Strathtay for an interesting trip along the north side of the River Tay to Weem - keep your eyes peeled for red squirrels. Continue to Keltyburn, turn off to picturesque Fortingall, then just after leaving the village, turn up the narrow road into Glen Lyon. 7km up this road is Invervar, where there is a car-park just downhill from the red phone-box with room for around 8 cars. If there's no space left, head west a bit further along the road.
Meall nan Aighean (Creag Mhor on older maps)
From the car-park, cross the road, go through the large metal gate and up a muddy track. Cross two more fences by stiles and head up through a forest, thick with rhodedendrons. You'll come to the end of the forest and out to open hillside. Walk a few metres up the track and look for a faint path heading directly up the hill. Follow this path over grass, then through heather. At one point, the path splits - don't take the left fork as this is a direct descent route from Carn Mairg (described in Alternatives). Keep heading directly up on the crest. The heather becomes more stunted and the first summit of Meall nan Aighean is reached. A faint path continues over the plateau to the rocky main summit. On the old maps, this peak is incorrectly refered to as Creag Mhor - the name belongs to a minor top to the east.
Carn Mairg
Return towards the dip between Meall nan Aighean's two summits, then head off right (north-west) and pick up a faint path heading north towards Carn Mairg. The path crosses the wide grassy bealach and aims for the col between Carn Mairg and Meall Liath, then turns and heads for the boulders below Carn Mairg's summit. Clamber up these and reach the two summit cairns.
Meall Garbh
Navigation is really easy from here ! Just follow the fence-posts. From the summit of Carn Mairg, keep to the left of the fence-post where the ground is grassy and easy underfoot. Further on the ground becomes more bouldery. Over the flat top of Meall a'Bharr, after a sharp turn in the fence-posts, the route passes a lochan and climbs up Meall Garbh. The summit cairn is made entirely of old iron posts. Decent views from here too !
Carn Gorm
Leave Meall Garbh following the fence-posts. As the posts start to turn north-west, leave them and follow the faint path to the bealach below An Sgorr. Two paths contour around the north-west side of this minor top. Taking either path or going over An Sgorr will lead you to the bealach below Carn Gorm, where a broken line of rusty post come up to from Invervar Burn. The line of posts disappears abruptly, but a faint path is followed to Carn Gorm's summit. Two cairns are on the crest, the northerly one has a trig point, now broken from its base, but both offer little shelter against north-westerly winds.
Return
Follow the path down Carn Gorm's south-east shoulder. You'll reach the edge of the forest, go around it and drop to a shoogly bridge over Invervar Burn. Cross the bridge and follow the old track down to the gap in the forest and return to Invervar.
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An Sgorr from Invervar Burn
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Schiehallion from Meall Garbh
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Carn Gorm group from Meall Garbh in the Lawers group
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Nearing Carn Gorm's summit, Meall Garbh and Schiehallion beyond
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Winter light looking west to Ben More and Stob Binnein
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The Lawers group from the eastern side of Carn Gorm
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Carn Gorm from Meall Garbh
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The Corbett, Beinn Dearg from Carn Gorm
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The Carn Mairg group from Schiehallion
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Meall Garbh and Schiehallion from Carn Gorm
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Carn Mairg and Meall nan Aighean from Carn Gorm
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Carn Mairg's rocky summit and cairns
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If the weather comes in, split the group into two, doing the other half another day
A Corbett to the west of the group can be easily tagged in to make a slightly longer walk
Weather pulls in - so split the group into two
If you're out bagging these hills as in the main route described and severe weather pulls in, you can cut the route short upon reaching Carn Mairg.
From the summit, turn south-south-west and clamber down some bouldery ground.
Reach grassy ground, then descend over heather to drop down to a hut by the Allt Coire a'Chearcaill.
From here, a good path returns to the forest.
If you've cut the route short as above, then you'll want to return to bag Meall Garbh and Carn Gorm another day.
From Invervar, head up on the track through the forest. Upon reaching the open ground, turn left and continue following the track, keeping on the eastern side of Invervar Burn.
You'll come to an old corrugated hut, from where the track becomes fainter, but continues north-west towards An Sgorr.
Upon reaching the base of An Sgorr, continue north-west on pathless ground to gain the col between An Sgorr and Meall Garbh, then follow the obvious path up to Meall Garbh.
Follow the main route over to Carn Gorm and back to Invervar.
Taking in the Corbett Beinn Dearg
Although the Corbett Beinn Dearg is more commonly ascended from Innerwick (8km west of Invervar), it can be added to this group of munros, starting 5km west of Invervar. The height gain is increased by only 200m !
From just west of the forest of Camusvrachan, a track heads up over farmland into the trees. Follow this track through the forest and up to open heathery hillside. Continue to the summit of Beinn Dearg and its fine views south onto the Lawers group. To progress to Carn Gorm, just drop north, then north east to the col at the top of Dubh Choirein, from where its a steep trudge up to the north-west arm of Carn Gorm. Continue around the 3 other Munros in the reverse of the main route.
North and north-east
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Schiehallion and neighbours
A prominant mountain from all directions. Routes up the 3 nearby Corbetts Meall Tairneachan, Farragon Hill and Beinn a'Chuallaich are also included.
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South
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The Ben Lawers group
A suprisingly easy route taking in 7 Munros. Popular hills with well managed path network
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South-west
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Meall Ghaordaidh and Beinn nan Oighreag
On one side these appear as characterless lumps, from the other they have crags and rocky outcrops.
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West
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Above Loch an Daimh
Two very different Munros and 3 Corbetts. Fine views, with Meall Buidhe being an excellent vantage point to look over Rannoch
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