Scotland
Meall Bhalach
706M
2317FT
About Meall Bhalach
Sitting quietly above the Cairnwell Pass, this rounded Grampian summit offers a peaceful alternative to the busy ski slopes nearby. It is a broad, grassy ridge that rewards walkers with an expansive perspective across the deep trench of Gleann Beag and the more rugged forms of the high Cairngorms to the north.
Key Statistics
Rank
119th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Prominence
?
79.8m
Nearest Town
Black Corries Lodge
Geology
You are walking on tough, granite-like rock called granodiorite. It formed deep underground within a massive pool of cooling magma known as the Rannoch Moor Pluton.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN259576
Latitude
56.6782°N
Longitude
4.8425°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Meall Bhalach, which translates as 'Hill of the Boy', though the specific story behind the naming has long since faded from local memory.
- •Situated west of the A93, the hill is often ignored by those rushing to climb the neighbouring Munros, ensuring its heathery slopes remain significantly quieter than the nearby chairlifts of the Glenshee Ski Centre.
- •The summit provides an excellent vantage point to view the distinct 'elbow' of the Cairnwell Pass and the steep eastern face of Glas Maol across the glen.
- •Standing at 706 metres, it remains one of the more substantial hills in the region that can be reached with relatively little effort, provided you have already driven to the 670-metre high point of the Glenshee road.