Scotland
A' Mharconaich
973M
3193FT
About A' Mharconaich
Rising above the A9 at the Pass of Drumochter, this broad Munro offers a straightforward high-altitude walk. Its vast, mossy plateau provides an easy stride between summits, while the views are dominated by the nearby dark waters of Loch Ericht and the remote, sprawling ridges of the Ben Alder forest.
Key Statistics
Rank
3rd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Lochaber
Prominence
?
112m
Nearest Town
Newtonmore
Geology
You are walking on psammite, a hard rock originally formed from layers of sand. This durable material creates the sturdy foundation for the mountain beneath your boots.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN604762
Latitude
56.8562°N
Longitude
4.2910°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic 'A’ Mharconaich', which translates as 'The Place of Horses', likely referring to the high-level summer grazing once found on its broad plateaus.
- •It is one of the 'Drumochter Four', a quartet of Munros on the west side of the pass that are frequently climbed together in a long, high-level circuit.
- •From the summit cairn, walkers are rewarded with a clear view across the deep trench of Loch Ericht toward the dramatic, steep-sided 'Leachas' ridges of Ben Alder.
- •The mountain is skirted by the Highland Main Line, the highest railway in the UK, which runs through the pass at its eastern foot.
- •Because the A9 road delivers you to the 460-metre Pass of Drumochter, you have already conquered nearly half of the mountain's total height before leaving the car.