📌 Ben Lawers range, Perth & Kinross
★★★★
A few miles west of mighty Ben Lawers is the lower Munro lump of Meall nan Tarmachan (Rounded hill of the ptarmigan). Its grassy slopes and sprawling summit give little clue to what lies beyond: a wonderful, characterful traverse encompassing three further summits, short sections of exposed ridge and one slightly awkward (though avoidable) scramble. Meall Garbh is the highlight: a jaunty dome with the most dramatic part of the route immediately beyond it. Loch Tay sparkles to the south, while Glen Lochay stretches away west towards an array of West Highland hills. Overall, a very satisfying hillwalking feast with plenty of interest.
📷 Chronological photo guide
The ascent of Meall nan Tarmachan is on a good path 
Meall nan Tarmachan beyond the first false summit 
Ben Lawers beyond Lochan na Làirige 
Loch Tay from the 923m false summit 
Ben Lawers from Meall nan Tarmachan summit 
Loch Tay 
View west to the remaining summits – Meall Garbh (left), Beinn nan Eachan (centre) & Creag na Caillich (centre left) 
Frozen lochan 
Approach to Meall Garbh 
Meall nan Tarmachan from Meall Garbh 
Raven at the summit 
The narrowest section of ridge, leading west from Meall Garbh 
View back to Meall Garbh 
Coire Riadhailt 
Looking ahead to Beinn nan Eachan & Creag na Caillich 
View back to the hardest part of the route: the descent from Meall Garbh 
Meall Garbh (right) & Meall nan Tarmachan (left) from Beinn nan Eachan 
View west to Meall Ghaordaidh 
Route to Creag na Caillich 
Beinn nan Eachan (left), Meall Garbh (right) & Meall nan Tarmachan (centre) from Creag na Caillich 
View west up Glen Lochay from Creag na Caillich 
Faint, intermittent path for the descent from the ridge 
Ben Lawers from the return track
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish on minor road 2 mi north of Edramucky, Loch Tay
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NN 608377
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.510656,-4.263134
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 National Trust for Scotland car park (charge)
📝 Key info
▶ 14 km / 9 mi | ▲ 850 m | ⌛ 5.5-6.5 hr
Features: △ Meall nan Tarmachan (1044 m, Munro); △ Meall Garbh (1027 m); △ Beinn nan Eachan (1000 m); △ Creag na Caillich (916 m)
⬤ Tough | Good hill path with sustained ascent until Meall nan Tarmachan, with improvements to the short boggy sections in progress at time of writing. Generally clear but rougher path beyond, with a little exposure in places and a short, slightly awkward scramble on descent from Meall Garbh. The scramble is avoidable on grass to the north. Intermittent, faint path (wet in places) for first mile of descent from ridge, then good track.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit with extension to Creag na Caillich: start – cross track at 🧭 NN 603379 – Meall nan Tarmachan – Meall Garbh – Beinn nan Eachan – Creag na Caillich – return to previous bealach – join track below quarry at 🧭 NN 573373 – track junction on outward route at 🧭 NN 603379 – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: A few sheep; friendly raven following us from summit to summit.
Weather: Clear at first with some clouds in the afternoon. Light winds, just above freezing at Munro level. Snow patches above about 700m – a few on the path – and high altitude lochans still frozen and snow covered from the winter. Water ice made the scramble off from Meall Garbh difficult.
April 2019
