Schiehallion
PITLOCHRY AND BLAIR ATHOLL
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
View an OS map of this route
Open this walk in QUO 2
Open this walk in GPX format
Open this walk in Google Earth
1. Park the Braes of Foss car park, where there are public toilets. A memorial commemorates Schiehallion's part in a famous experiment. In 1774 the Astronomer Royal Maskelyne became the first to measure the mass of the earth, which he did by observing the deflection of a pendulum by the mass of Schiehallion. As part of the experiment the volume of Schiehallion had to be calculated, for which purpose contour lines were invented by Charles Hutton. The path to Schiehallion begins at the far end of the car park.
Photo: Schiehallion from across Loch Rannoch, ©Anne Burgess, and licensed under this Creative Commons Licence
.
2. Until a few years ago, the path led from the car park directly up to the flank of Schiehallion; the passage of thousands of boots had let to it becoming a quagmire as well as a scar on the face of the hill. The hill was bought in 1999 by the conservation charity The John Muir Trust; they set about building a new path on a line that loops slightly further south, and the damage caused by the original route is well on the way to a full recovery. Keep to the excellent path which is dry underfoot and gives excellent going; it passes some old tumbledown sheepfanks on its way to the base of the east ridge. As the path works its way up the ridge, excellent views open up, particular looking across Loch Tummel towards Beinn a'Ghlo.
Photo ©Stuart Meek, and licensed under this Creative Commons Licence
.
3. The superbly constructed path leads right up onto the top of the ridge, passing where the old eroded route came up from the right. As the gradient eases (and undulates slightly) the terrain becomes tougher, as quartzite boulders litter the ridge and make for awkward going. There are numerous cairns but the true summit of Schiehallion is further along the ridge than might be thought at first.
Photo ©Stuart Meek, and licensed under this Creative Commons Licence
.
4. Take care across the boulders until the true summit is reached; there is barely a cairn but it cannot be mistaken in clear weather. The views are excellent, and extremely extensive – unsurprising given its central position and how often Schiehallion appears in the view from distant summits around Scotland. Most impressive is the view west across Rannoch Moor to the peaks of Glencoe.
Photo ©Stuart Meek, and licensed under this Creative Commons Licence
.
5. The return to Braes of Foss is usually made the same way, taking full advantage of the path and preventing further erosion – do not short-cut down the old route.
Photo ©Jonathan Billinger, and licensed under this Creative Commons Licence
.Have you done this walk?
If so, why not be the first comment on it in our Forum. If you start a new topic in the walking discussion with the name of this walk as the topic, we will link the discussion to the walk so that others can read your comments here.
Have you found an error or is any information wrong or missing?
Please let us know by using the error report form.
Route profile
Accommodation links for this area:
Blair Atholl and Pitlochry: North Perthshire Hotels and Inns
Perthshire B&B (Bed and Breakfasts)
Self catering cottages in Blair Atholl and Pitlochry: North Perthshire
Perthshire bunkhouses and hostels
