Schiehallion - give it a break

[old danensian]

Saturday 1 August

Now I'll admit I was sceptical about this one. It had suffered from some mixed reviews - uninteresting; no enjoyment; only there and back.

No, it's not spectacular. It's not got towering crags or scary precipitous ridges. But, hey, what do you expect?

Schiehallion from across Loch Kindarochy

It's a hill - on it's own - a simple but comfortingly satisfying shape - it's a Ronseal type of hill. To plagiarise John Cleese - what do you want from it - the Hanging Gardens of Breadalbane or wandering packs of wolves and beaver?

But it's got position - location, location, location - views, panoramas and the realisation of little of Scotland some of us English really know

Loch Tummel

On a late Saturday morning I had choices - revisit battle sites at Killiecrankie - retail therapy at House of Bruar - blow the cobwebs away up a hill. A no brainer.

Park at the Braes
Push on up the crafted path
Piroutte across the stones and boulders of the ridge
Scamble along the final top
Spend a little time at one end or the other and few feet below growing crowd
Meander back down - three hours out - and much enjoyed

Loch Rannoch from summit

I'll probably spend more time playing with the piccies on Photoshop and putting together the panoramas - but it wasn't a waste of time.

Worsening weather over Schiehallion from Loch Tummel

[kevsbald]

I'd agree with you. The history of the hill itself and it's connotation with physics experiments in estbalishing the atomic mass of the earth are of interest. The path's fab and the hop skip and jump across the boulders is good fun - the views across to the Glen Lyon 4 are excellent (on a good day) and it's one of the last places we'll all be able to stay dry according to 'But and Ben a-go-go'.

And that Gaelic translation - wow!

[Paul Webster]

Good report. I would add to Schiehallion's positive qualities, it can be climbed pretty quickly and is near enough to the A9 that we could drive back to England after doing it quite a few years ago when we were still based on the 'Plains of Albion'

[Graeme D]

Quite right!

My first Munro. Will always have a special place because of that and the time and circumstances surrounding our ascent.

[MacCookie]

Great views if you get a clear day!

[mountain coward]

I decided the hill had a 'wheelchair path' - not as you might think the made path up it... the boulder hopping along the ridge when it's wet and greasy - likely to put you in a wheelchair if you don't tread carefully! Nice hill though...