Maol Breac

About Maol Breac

Perched above the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, this Graham Top is more about the 'maol' than the 'breac' once you’re knee-deep in its notorious bogs. It offers a secluded escape from the West Highland Way crowds, provided you enjoy navigating trackless heather and damp socks.

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Did You Know?

• •The name translates from Gaelic as 'Speckled Rounded Hill,' though on a typical misty Trossachs afternoon, 'Grayish Blob' might feel like a more accurate topographical description for the disoriented navigator.
• •Situated in the wild territory between Loch Lomond and Loch Katrine, this hill was once the rugged playground of Rob Roy MacGregor, who used this unforgiving terrain to evade the law.
• •The hill consists primarily of Dalradian schist, a metamorphic rock that has spent the last 500 million years becoming remarkably good at holding onto rainwater and creating deep, treacherous peat hags.
• •While it lacks the 'Munro' status that attracts the peak-bagging hordes, it offers a superb vantage point for judging the ant-like processions of exhausted hikers trudging along the West Highland Way far below.
• •The 'speckled' rocks are technically quartz-veined, but you’ll find the summit is mostly speckled with the tears of hikers who realized they forgot to bring a spare pair of dry socks for the descent.