An Stuc

About An Stuc

Often overlooked by its larger neighbours, this conical Munro offers one of the steepest and most rewarding sections of the Ben Lawers ridge. Its sharp profile is best appreciated from the shores of Lochan nan Cat, where the precipitous eastern face provides a dramatic contrast to the gentler slopes of Meall Garbh.

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Did You Know?

• •Derived from the Gaelic An Stùc, the name translates as ‘The Peak’ or ‘The Crag’, referencing the sharp, conical profile that distinguishes it from the broader, rounded domes typical of the surrounding Lawers range.
• •This was only elevated to Munro status in 1997; prior to this, it was classified as a subsidiary top of Ben Lawers, a change that forced many veteran baggers to return to the ridge to complete their lists.
• •The eastern slopes drop into the corrie of Lochan nan Cat, or ‘Lochan of the Cats’, a name harking back to a time when the steep rocky screes of the Ben Lawers range were a known stronghold for the Scottish wildcat.
• •The summit provides an exceptional, close-quarters view of the massive north-eastern crags of Ben Lawers, while looking north reveals the remote, rolling wilderness of the Talla Bheith forest and the distant hills of Glen Lyon.
• •The ascent from the north is less of a walk and more of a vertical lesson in erosion; it is the kind of slope where you spend half your time wondering if you are climbing the mountain or if the mountain is actively sliding down to meet you.