Meall a' Mheil

Rising above the Conaglen Estate west of Fort William, this rough-hewn Ardgour summit offers a wilder alternative to the busy Ben Nevis range. Reaching just over the 2,000ft mark, its pathless slopes require navigation skills, rewarded by clear prospects across Loch Linnhe towards the Great Glen and the Mamores.

• •The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Meall a' Mhìl, which translates as the ‘Hill of the Animal’ or ‘Hill of the Beast’, a common naming convention for hills used as seasonal grazing or known for high deer populations.
• •Access typically requires taking the small passenger ferry from Fort William to Camusnagaul, followed by a trek into the remote interior of the Ardgour peninsula.
• •The summit provides a unique, straight-on view of the massive southern aspect of Ben Nevis and the steep-sided peaks of the Mamores, a perspective often missed by those staying on the eastern side of the loch.
• •While it clears the 2,000ft milestone, it lacks the necessary prominence to be classified as a Graham, leaving it as a quiet objective primarily for local walkers and Tump baggers.
• •It is the sort of terrain where you are significantly more likely to stumble into a bog or startle a red deer than you are to encounter another walker.