📌 Ben Lawers range, Perth & Kinross
★★★★
Four Munros set in a horseshoe around a coire loch, and a pub at the finish? It’s the ideal setup – and probably the best route up 1214-metre Ben Lawers, the highest peak in the central Highlands. Meall Greigh, Meall Garbh, An Stùc and Ben Lawers are conveniently arranged in order of increasing interest, with unspectacular rolling terrain early on, but the steep prow of An Stùc and the very best views of focal Lochan nan Cat to look forward to later. All four summits have excellent views on a clear day, with their panoramas spanning the Cairngorms in the far east, the Glen Lyon hills to the north, Glen Coe and Ben Cruachan to the west, and almost the full length of Loch Tay in the southern quadrant.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Ascent by the Lawers Burn, Meall Greigh beyond 
View back to Loch Tay 
Meall Greigh 
View west to Ben Lawers, An Stùc & Meall Garbh (left to right) 
Meall Greigh summit, view along Loch Tay 
Looking ahead to Meall Garbh (right) 
Munros north of Glen Lyon 
View back to Meall Greigh from the ascent to Meall Garbh 
Meall Garbh summit 
View down the Allt Coire Thaochaidh 
Ben Lawers (left) & An Stùc 
An Stuc 
View back to Meall Garbh from the ascent of An Stùc 
Lochan nan Cat from An Stùc 
An Stùc summit, looking west to Meall a’ Choire Lèith 
Ben Lawers 
View back to An Stùc from the ascent to Ben Lawers 
Lochan nan Cat & Lawers Burn 
An Stùc, Meall Garbh & Meall Greigh (left to right) encircling Lochan nan Cat 
Upper slopes of Ben Lawers 
Ben Lawers summit, looking north 
View southwest to Beinn Ghlas (left) & Meall Corranaich 
Descending Ben Lawers’ east ridge 
Loch Tay 
An Stùc (left) & Meall Garbh beyond the coire 
Pathless descent east of Lochan nan Cat 
Lawers Burn 
Crossing the Lawers Burn 
Ben Lawers Hotel at the finish
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at Ben Lawers Hotel, A827 7 mi southwest of Kenmore
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NN 677395
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.529233,-4.151843
🚌 Very infrequent bus stops at hotel
🚗 Hotel car park (charge for walkers)
📝 Key info
▶ 19 km / 12 mi | ▲ 1550 m | ⌛ 8.5-10 hr
Features: △ Meall Greigh (1001m, Munro); △ Meall Garbh (1123m, Munro); △ An Stùc (1117m, Munro); △ Ben Lawers (1214m, Munro)
⬤ Tough | Route mostly on hill paths of varying quality – a little easy scrambling (trickier if wet) mostly on ascent to An Stùc, some boggy sections. Part of descent off Ben Lawers towards Lawers Burn is pathless. Section on fast road at start / finish – care required.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise lollipop circuit: follow A827 northeast to track just beyond Lawers Burn – Old Shielings at 400m via burnside path – Meall Greigh – Meall Garbh – An Stùc – Ben Lawers – descend east ridge – join path along Lawers Burn below coire lochs – cross footbridge at 450m, rejoining outward route – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Sheep & lambs, cuckoos heard. Lots of beetles & other flying insects, a few midges on Meall Greigh too.
Weather: Full sunshine with gentle breezes. Reaching 14°C at Munro level, exceeding 20°C at the car park.
May 2023
