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I chose this walk to push my Munro count past 20—and really, who wouldn’t want to bag four Munros in one go?
I arrived at the car park around 7 a.m., thinking it was early enough. After all, waking up at 4 a.m. felt like commitment, and I assumed no one else would be that crazy. Well, I was wrong. When I got there, four other cars and two campervans were already parked. At least I wasn’t too late. The car park is a bit of a distance from the start of the walk, but it’s still way closer than Mount Keen from Glen Tanar.
As you enter the walk proper, an information board instructs you to go clockwise. Which begs the question—what happens if you go counterclockwise? Do the deer and sheep lose their minds? Do they take off and start flying? I get the need to manage access, but this seemed a bit over the top. Anyway, I played along and went clockwise.
These were some of the worst step ladders I’ve ever used. Only on my way back did I realize there was a gate right next to them that I could have just opened.
Nothing says "hillwalker-friendly" quite like a chained and padlocked gate with no other way through.
Someone lost something?
I’d been checking the weather forecast all week, and just before heading out, it said: 60% chance of cloud-free Munros, with a 20% chance of precipitation. I think they got the numbers a bit wrong. That said, I can’t complain— the weather was still much better than my last two trips. It was a bit like experiencing all four seasons in a day, though summer was noticeably absent.
The first Munro of the day—Càrn Gorm. I was so pleased to reach it so quickly that I ended up wasting way too much time. I took a long break, then walked at a relaxed pace... and that’s when it hit me—there were still three more to go, plus a few extras I had planned to do.
Overall, most of the walk is pleasant and straightforward. It’s not too boggy, hard to get lost, and there aren’t any narrow ridges to worry about. With that in mind, I decided to add a few extra hills to the trip, starting with An Sgorr.
And to top it off, I had rainbows!
Soon, the famous fence navigation led me to the second Munro—Meall Garbh. That’s also when I caught my first glimpse of the mighty Schiehallion. The iron cairn on top of Meall Garbh was equally impressive.
Rusty fence posts were my reliable companions on the way to the next extra—Meall A'Bharr. Okay, maybe not an extra, since I would have passed through it anyway, but as a summit higher than many Munros, it definitely deserves recognition.
And another rainbow!
The path to Càrn Mairg gets a bit rocky at times. I wouldn’t mind solid rock, but it was mostly loose boulders—not the most pleasant surface to walk on, unless you’re a fan of rock hopping. Thankfully, you can avoid most of them, until you reach a certain point— but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Meall Garbh is the highest of the group and left the biggest impression on me, mainly due to the stunning views and those picturesque, milky-white rocks. They looked just like marble.
My knowledge of birds is pretty mediocre at best, but I think I spotted a ptarmigan. Am I right?
After bagging Munro number 3, I decided to add another extra—Meall Liath. However, to get there, I had to descend, and it wasn’t easy. According to my map, there were two ways down, and I’m pretty sure I chose the worse one. I definitely regretted not bringing my walking poles on this occasion.
There’s no obvious path to the top of Meall Liath, so I blazed my own trail. Thankfully, it wasn’t boggy, so the climb was fairly brisk. I felt a bit like I was climbing the Windows XP wallpaper! It seems like only sheep and the occasional random walker visit this hill every few years. This time, that happened to be me. I imagine it must make the hill a little sad, as it definitely deserves more attention. The summit offers fantastic views of Schiehallion and, if you’re lucky with the clouds, the Ben Lawers range too.
World famous standing stones of Meall Liath.
There was nothing left to do but ascend the final Munro and hill of the day—Creag Mhòr (Meall na Aighean). It was a great conclusion, as from here I could look back and see the other three peaks I had just conquered.
I lost my way a bit on the way back. The path visible below should split into two, with the right one being a bit shorter. That’s the one I aimed for—or at least tried to. However, I didn’t find any trace of a path until I’d walked about 100-200 meters.
The final descent was by far my least favorite part of the entire walk. It was long, steep, and relentless. To make matters worse, the path was heavily eroded in places. Once again, I found myself wishing I had brought my walking poles.
Overall, I’m really happy with the walk. The weather was quite varied, but it offered some amazing views. For the first time in my last four walks, I didn’t feel completely knackered and had the energy to keep going—until that final descent, that is. My knees almost buckled under me! The stats are below. The time might not be the best, but I wasn’t in a hurry. It was nice to just enjoy the walk and stay in the moment.
