This month’s Munro of the Month is Schiehallion

Height: 1083m (3553 ft)

Location: Ben Lawers region

Name meaning: Fairy Hill of the Caledonians

Map used: I used Ultramap Ben Lawers & Schiehallion but there are a few Harvey maps to use for this one dependant on your preference. Click here to take you to their site

If you speak to anyone that has visited Schiehallion you shouldn’t be surprised with a mixed bag of lovers and haters

Schiehallion itself brings rich botanical life and some interesting archeology. The hill itself was part of an experiment to find out the mass of the world

Much of the upper side of Schiehallion is a boulder field and this can put many people off, usually those with shorter legs. At 6ft 1 I am lucky to be able to hop from boulder to boulder and rather enjoyed the experience.

My first ascent of Schiehallion was on a winters day where there was a lovely crust on the snow nearer the top. This meant a rather leisurely stroll  over the top of the snow rather than boulder hopping. Whilst the cloud came in at the top it was kind enough to give me a couple of gaps for some rare photo opportunities.

Whilst Schiehallion can be a straight walk up and back down the same path there are other ways to do it and, even on the straight forward route you would need to be aware of good navigation should visibility change.

That’s twice I have done Schiehallion and it gave me a different experience both times. Definitely not for everyone but I liked it.