Am Meallan

Tucked away above Glen Moriston near Fort Augustus, this heathery Hump offers a fine vantage point away from the busier Great Glen trails. The ascent through the Dundreggan estate provides a front-row seat to local rewilding efforts, culminating in a summit view that stretches across the Monadhliath mountains and Loch Ness.

• •The name is Scottish Gaelic, where Meallan is the diminutive of meall, meaning a rounded hill or lump. It translates simply as 'the little hill,' a modest title for a peak that still rises over 2,000 feet.
• •The hill sits within the Dundreggan estate, a flagship project for the charity Trees for Life. Walkers on the lower slopes can see the practical results of the Caledonian forest restoration, with significant numbers of young Scots pine and birch returning to the hillside.
• •The summit offers a specific and impressive perspective of the Great Glen fault line, looking directly across to the distinctive profile of Meall na Teanga and the surrounding Loch Lochy hills.
• •Despite its name meaning 'little hill,' anyone tackling the pathless, heathery sections of its southern flank will quickly find that the 'little' part of the description feels like a slight Gaelic understatement.