Stuc an Lochain [Stuchd an Lochain]

Rising steeply above the head of Glen Lyon, this Munro is defined by its dramatic eastern corrie. The climb from Loch an Daimh follows a broad ridge, leading to a surprisingly airy summit that drops away sharply to the dark waters of Coire an Lochain directly below.

• •The name is Gaelic for 'The Peak of the Little Loch,' a literal reference to the lochan tucked into the dramatic glacial hollow beneath the summit cliffs.
• •It is almost always climbed in tandem with its neighbour across the Giorra Dam, Meall Buidhe, making for a classic two-Munro circuit of the high ground surrounding the reservoir.
• •From the summit, the view west is dominated by the sprawling wilderness of Rannoch Moor, while the distinctive, symmetrical cone of Schiehallion stands out clearly to the northeast.
• •The hill's eastern face is its most striking feature; the summit cairn sits right on the edge of a 200-metre drop into the corrie, providing one of the most sudden and impressive views in the southern Grampians.
• •The Giorra Dam at the foot of the hill serves as a high-altitude car park, sparing walkers several hundred metres of ascent but offering no protection from the midges that treat the reservoir as their personal canteen.