Schiehallion

This is one of the best known of Scottish mountains by virtue of its striking appearance and isolated position in the centre of the Highlands. It is a conspicuous feature from many viewpoints; from the east and west it appears as a steep conical peak, but from the north or south its true shape is more apparent: a long whale-backed ridge dropping quite steeply to the west, but much more gradually to the east.

A narrow road leaves the A846 between Coshieville and Tummel Bridge and goes round the north side of Schiehallion to Kinloch Rannoch.

Starting at the car park, follow the route marked 'Schiehallion Path', and go south-west across grassy moorland past a prominent cairn to meet a track coming up from Braes of Foss. Cross this track and keep headin across the grassy hillside along a path towards the mountain. Higher up, as the slope steepens, the route goes up peaty ground which has been badly eroded by the passage of many boots. Further on the terrain changes again, becoming very stony, and the upper part of Schiehallion is covered with angular quartzite stones and boulders, giving rough walking. The last one and a half kilometres of the route along the broad ridge is marked by many small cairns.

(Copyright The Scottish Mountaineering Club)

The John Muir Trust owns and cares for 915 hectares of east Schiehallion, running almost to its summit. Find out more about this organisation, which conserves many parts of Scotland's wild places at www.jmt.org.