Walk: Meall Buidhe – going the extra mile

📌 Glen Lyon, Perth & Kinross
★★★

Of all the Munros in the Central Highlands, Meall Buidhe (yellow rounded hill) above Loch an Daimh involves one of the longest drives from Scotland’s cities to get to the start, including a tortuous 550 metre-high pass if the direct route is taken (to be avoided in winter). Once you’ve set off on foot, reaching the summit is surprisingly quick and straightforward in good conditions, and the hill is often combined with Stùc an Lochain on the other side of the glen, returning to the car in the middle. We’re in no rush, so our route instead includes a mile’s extension to the standard there-and-back hike. This adds in the subsidiary summit of Garbh Mheall, accessing the very best views of Loch Rannoch, in addition to the vast panorama over Rannoch Moor which can be enjoyed from Meall Buidhe itself.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish just below Loch an Daimh, minor road end 4 mi west of Bridge of Balgie

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NN 512464

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.585658,-4.424737

❌ No public transport within 1 mi

🚗 Verge parking / informal car park

📝 Key info

▶ 10 km / 6 mi | ▲ 670 m | ⌛ 3-4 hr

Features: 💧 Loch an Daimh; △ Meall Buidhe (932 m, Munro); △ Garbh Mheall (912 m)

⬤ Tough | Paths for most of the route, intermittent in boggy areas and near the top. Extension to Garbh Mheall is mostly pathless, but generally straightforward.

➡️ Out-and-back walk with variation near end on return: start – Druim Chaluim – Meall Buidhe south top – Meall Buidhe north (highest) top – Garbh Mheall – return by outward route or similar (choice of 2 paths lower down)

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Sheep, grouse.

Weather: Light rain and hill fog on ascent, then marked improvement to sunshine. A few degrees above freezing with a buffeting northerly wind higher up.

September 2020