Scotland
Meall Ruadh
456M
1496FT
About Meall Ruadh
Rising above the rugged moorland of the North West Highlands, this modest summit offers a surprisingly wild character. The terrain is characteristically heathery and rough, providing a quiet vantage point that rewards the effort of navigating pathless slopes with a genuine sense of solitude and Highland isolation.
Key Statistics
Rank
254th Highest in Region
Parent Range
North West Highlands
Prominence
?
121m
Nearest Town
Attadale
Geology
You’re walking on the Morar Group, a foundation of tough rock formed from ancient layers of sand that were compressed and heated deep underground.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NG977368
Latitude
57.3772°N
Longitude
5.3656°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Meall Ruadh is Scottish Gaelic for 'red rounded hill', typically describing the appearance of the slopes when the heather is in bloom or reflecting the warm hue of the underlying Torridonian sandstone.
- •The summit provides an excellent vantage point to view the ancient 'cnoc and lochan' landscape of the North West, where glaciated knolls and small freshwater pools create a complex, watery mosaic across the glens.
- •Classified as a Hump, the hill possesses a prominence of at least 100 metres, ensuring it stands as a distinct landmark despite being significantly lower than the region’s famous Munros.
- •Because it sits at a lower elevation than the neighbouring Torridon giants, this hill often remains clear of the Atlantic mist that can swallow the higher peaks for days at a time.
- •In a region defined by its vertical scale, a hill of this height is frequently regarded by local mountain guides as a very scenic place to have a sandwich while waiting for the clouds to lift elsewhere.