Weather/Conditions: Very overcast summery weather, occasional mist and green glens...
Distance/Ascent/Time: 16.1km / 1650m / 4h 55m
Accompanying: Alone

These summits all lie in a loop around Lochan na Lairige, the dammed loch more well known for being (sort of) underneath Ben Lawers. It was my intention this day to climb a new summit as well as repeat some Munros and add a few to the third round tally.

It was a grey-green day, the kind of day I sometimes imagine was the source for the Gaelic word 'glas' - when the hills are green, but the mist dulls it somewhat. It was one of those flat overcast days, the kind you only get right in the middle of summer.

I left the car at a layby under the dam and struck off up to Meall Corranaich, which turned out to be a pathless plod for the first while before the gaining the ridge. Conditions today were pretty low-key. It was a funny old day; now on the hills and moving, I still hadn't much inclination to move. Motivation was gained more through wanting to finishing what I'd started, rather than from feeling truly up for it.



With Meall Corranaich in the bag, I headed north to Meall a' Choire Leith, the unsuspecting Munro hanging off to the north. This summit is almost a twin to the following hill, Meall nam Maigheach, which is directly westward across Gleann Dà-Eig.

Meall nam Maigheach is on the Corbett list, and would give me a new summit (I always search these out now!). It is one of the easiest of Scottish hills to reach the summit of, owing to it's realtively low elevation and the fact that the Lochan na Lairige road climbs to 550m. So having plodded to the top, it wasn't long before I was back on tarmac, and considering what to do next; go down the road, or climb one more hill?



One half of me wanted just to go back to the car, but that seemed unnecessarily lazy. I'd just have to go for Meall nan Tarmachan - it was right there. But in the event, it did seem an awful slog. My head obviously wasn't in gear today! I headed over Creag an Lochain, then in mist for the last bit to the summit.



The return to the car was nice though; I headed down over the SE Top in mist, then dropped sharply off the side of the hill, through rough ground on a direct line back to the car. This hillsie is worth exploring; a lot of it has been fenced off, and the plant life that is growing back as a result is pretty astounding. Another reminder of how things could be in Scotland... In fact, in contrast to being on the bare summits and deer-scoured slopes, I found it one of the most stimulating parts of the day.

I was back at the car for mid-afternoon, and on the way home stopped at St. Bridges near Strathyre. Brendan put up a great 7a boulder problem here called the Shield SS and I was happy to climb it within an hour or so. The midges were a nightmare, but I didn't have to hang around too long!

360° Panoramas

Meall nam Maigheach