Easy on the eyes... and on the feet

Simplest of Munros is one of best in Scotland

Just north of the picturesque Stirlingshire tourist town of Killin lies Meall nan Tarmachan.

It’s the highest peak – and only Munro – of a snaking, sinuous group of hills that makes up the Tarmachan Ridge, famously the narrowest mountain ridge in what was once Perthshire.

Meall nan Tarmachan can be climbed as a simple there-and-back in a few hours from the Ben Lawers car park – but to miss out the ridge is to forego one of the best hillwalks in central Scotland.

It’s a spectacular day out. The other peaks on the Tarmachan Ridge are Meall Garbh, Beinn nan Eachan and Creag na Caillich. The best view of the hills is from Killin. They rise in a steep wall above the town, the gnarled rocky ridge making for an impressive skyline.

The route to the Munro follows a decent path and is relatively simple – despite measuring 3,425ft, the high start from the car park at about 1,476ft makes Meall nan Tarmachan one of the easiest Munros.

That said, it took me a few attempts to climb it – including one in which I couldn’t even make it to the car park, as the untreated, single-track road was buried in deep drifts. And the first time I actually summited the Munro, severe winds, blizzards and a complete lack of visibility meant just retracing the route to the car felt like an achievement.

Attempting the ridge would have been plain daft. In good conditions, the ridge is an exciting jaunt. It’s also relatively short – making it a viable, if challenging, winter day out.

In summer, the clear path makes the route choice obvious. The way is narrow in places – with some big drops and crags – but the scrambling is never difficult. The hardest section is Grade 1 and is easily avoidable on a bypass path.