Schiehallion

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One of Scotland's best known hills, Schiehallion is one of the easiest Munros to climb on a fine summers day. It takes the form of a broad ridge, with the famous conical appearance only apparent from across Loch Rannoch.

Terrain

Excellent path most of the way; final section to summit across boulders.

Public Transport

None to start of walk.

Start

Braes of Foss car park (charge). Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

Deer Stalking information

Land east of summit: John Muir Trust: no stalking issues.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

Park the Braes of Foss car park (charge). 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

Stage 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. This side of the hill was bought in 1999 by the John Muir Trust. The Trust is a conservation charity that protects wild places; 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. You can support the work of the trust by joining at http://www.johnmuirtrust.org/. Keep to the excellent path which is dry underfoot and gives excellent going; it passes some old tumbledown sheepfanks en route to the base of the east ridge.

Stage 3

As the path works its way up onto and along the lower part of the ridge, excellent views open up, particularly looking across Loch Tummel towards Beinn a'Ghlò.

Stage 4

The superbly constructed path leads right up onto the top of the ridge, passing where the old eroded route came up from the right, before ending at a cairn. From this point 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.

Stage 5

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.

Stage 6

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.

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