Meall nan Tarmachan Route Information

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Meall nan Tarmachan

Quick Facts

This is the summed total of all the climbing within a route and is a good indicator of the strenuousness of a route.

Total Ascent

887 m

An estimate of the time taken based on a derivation of Naismiths rules. Our calculation is based on the horizontal and ascent components of a climb, we do not make a reduction for descent.

Registered users can customise these walking times by specifying their own walking and ascending speeds. They can also add a fixed time period for stoppages.

Route Time

4.5 hrs

The horizontal distance of the route.

Route Distance

12.66 km

The UK is covered by 204 Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 scale maps. Maps numbered 1 to 86 cover Scotland but for the highest mountains (Munros) only 23 maps are required. The name given roughly describes the area covered by the map.

You can click on the map name to purchase the map for £6.29 including postage which is one of the cheapest prices we have found.

OS Landranger Maps Required

51	Loch Tay & Glen Dochart

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A brief summary of this route.

Our summary will always contain one of easy, moderate or hard to indicate the severity of the route.

Notes

Meall nan Tarmachan is the main top of the Tarmachan Ridge and the route described here is the ridge walk. The ascent is easy but for one steep section but traverse of the ridge requires some scrambling on steep descents.

Here we provide the nearest town to the start of the route where you will find basic services.

We then give directions from that location to the route start. Your approach route may differ.

Travel Information

Head to: Killin

From Killin (A827) travel NE 7km to Edramucky then take the minor road NNW to a road junction with bridge 0.5km beyond the National Trust for Scotland Visitor Centre where there is some parking. N.B. The minor road can be unpassable in winter.

Route Waypoint Map

The total ascent is 887 metres. Allow 4.5 hours to complete this 12.66 km route.

In winter months please check the local snow conditions at sais.gov.uk.

The hillphones service can inform you of stalking activities in the area.

Usually the shortest way to climb the mountain, making best use of tracks and paths to gain altitude. Route navigation requires map reading skills and an ability to navigate with a compass.

The information given here will enable you to annotate your map and plan your route. We do not give anecdotal descriptions on where to find the paths, worn by the feet of previous mountaineers.

Where the access routes are few or the ridge is narrow, paths are generally obvious. On open ground, following paths without using your compass may get you lost in poor visibility.

Route Information

Waypoint Detail

	Start from junction of road to Glen Lyon and track near bridge
		NN60493832	Distance	Altitude 465 m

1	Follow track 500m SW
		NN60263797	Distance 0.48 km	Altitude 465 m

2	Leave track and ascend W on path to south ridge
		NN59143768	Distance 1.24 km	Altitude 680 m

3	Follow ridge NNW to minor top (923m)
		NN58933854	Distance 0.90 km	Altitude 923 m

4	Descend NW to col then ascend through rocks to Meall nan Tarmachan summit
		NN58513902	Distance 0.67 km	Altitude 1044 m

5	Head SW on ridge to summit of Meall Garbh
		NN57843836	Distance 1.01 km	Altitude 1026 m

6	Descend WNW on ridge
		NN57303854	Distance 0.58 km	Altitude 920 m

7	Continue WSW to summit of Beinn nan Eachan
		NN56963837	Distance 0.35 km	Altitude 1000 m

8	Descend SW to col
		NN56523810	Distance 0.53 km	Altitude 830 m

9	Ascend SW to Summit of Creag na Caillich
		NN56263770	Distance 0.50 km	Altitude 916 m

10	Descend SSW turning E to join track in Coire Fionn Lairige
		NN56773676	Distance 1.25 km	Altitude 570 m

11	Continue E to T junction
		NN58603691	Distance 2.09 km	Altitude 560 m

12	Turn SE to bend in path
		NN59323661	Distance 0.86 km	Altitude 493 m

13	Continue NE on track to return
		NN60493832	Distance 2.20 km	Altitude 465 m

A selection of weather forecasts local to this route.

Weather

Southeastern Highlands
by MWIS (PDF format)

East Highlands
by Met Office

Meall Corranaich
by Metcheck

Images of Meall nan Tarmachan

From left to right, Beinn nan Eachan, Meall nan Tarmachan, Meall Garbh 16.02.08

Image by Andy Clark

Good Bit of scrambling on the ridge 25th sept 2010

Image by mackenzie barker

Meall nan Tarmachan with inversion

Image by Graham Avis

Beinn nan Eachan from Meall Garbh; 14 July 2011.

Image by Roger Vander Steen

Route Area Map

Legend

Munro

Corbett

Graham

English/Welsh Top

Accommodation

A selection of local accommodation options who advertise with Munromagic.com.

Where to Stay

We currently have no
sponsored accommodation listings for this area.

Rating & Reviews

Rating & Reviews

Rated:

from 13 votes

Click Stars to Vote
Your Rating

Written by Ian Munro on 18 Oct 2009:

I have done the route in both directions and I definitely recommend the clockwise circuit, beginning at Creag na Caillich. You will have the wind at your back on most days and it is certainly easier to ascend the single steep scramble than to descend it.

Written by John Gilchrist on 17 May 2008:

Definitely one of the best for comparatively little effort! Bit of a hold up coming off Beinn nan Eachan. It is a bit of an unexpected scramble down that seemed to unnerve the unwary. Most seemed to be trying to descend on their bottoms. This is difficult on slabs that slope away from the rock. Much easier, and safer, to turn and face the rock. There are ample handholds in just the right places.

Written by Graham Avis on 07 May 2007:

A much better day than the previous at Loch an Daimh. A nice wee climb to the summit of Meall an Tarmachan although the drop from the south top to the last pull to the summit looks worse than it is. A great bimble across the tops and a nice wee down climb off Meall Garbh A great route without much technical difficulty to be saved for a snowy winters day.

Written by Alexander Srachan on 06 Feb 2007:

If the wind is blowing from the West a reverse of this route is recomended as the wind will be on your back instead of face .

Written by Craig Brackenridge on 13 Oct 2004:

My absolute favourite ever walk - New Year's Day 1994. We started at the lochan dam (snow chains on the landy beat all the abandoned cars) crossed it and went pretty much straight up. The weather came in on us at the top forcing us down the back of the ridge rather than a full traverse. Rounded the horn and back down where we came from.

Disclaimer. The details provided above are an aid to planning an expedition, but all distances, altitudes and bearings must be considered approximate. You must navigate with the appropriate map, a compass, your navigation skills and common sense, MunroMagic.com accept no responsibility for your interpretation of our route information.

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