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Ben Lawers and Glen Lyon

Meall Garbh

A Munro of 968 metres, number 187 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

This Meall Garbh stands on the north side of Glen Lyon in Perthshire, one of the four Munros of the Carn Mairg group.

It is not to be confused with the higher Meall Garbh of the Ben Lawers range, across the glen to the south.

Its flat summit has two tops of almost equal height, and a cairn made of old iron stake posts.

The hill is kept by North Chesthill Estate, by its own account a small family estate run along traditional lines, farming sheep and cattle and stalking red deer on the open hill. Schiehallion is about seven kilometres away to the north-east.

The start
Invervar in Glen Lyon. North Chesthill Estate, which keeps these hills, has a recognised round from there, walked clockwise. Its map takes in Carn Gorm, An Sgorr, Meall Garbh, Meall a' Bharr and Carn Mairg, in that order.
The estate asks
Stay on the ridges and out of the corries, walk quietly, and keep dogs on leads at all times. From May to July, be off the hill well before dusk, which the estate gives as 7pm, so that the hinds can go back to their calves.
Stalking
The estate's deer stalking began on 1 September 2026, and it asks walkers to go elsewhere in September and October. On stalking days notices go up in the car park and at the hill gate. In 2026 its news page listed 18, 22 and 23 October as days with no stalking. Its leaflet says stalking goes on from September to January, so read its news page and its notices before any autumn or winter day.
Mountaineering Scotland
Mountaineering Scotland, which represents hillwalkers, takes a different view of the two-month request. Its advice, given in August 2026, is to follow the established circular route, keeping to the ridges and out of the corries except in an emergency.
Summit
Grid reference NN 647 516. Two Munros are called Meall Garbh: make sure any route or map you read is for the one above Glen Lyon.
Car park
The estate provides the Glen Lyon Visitor Car Park at Invervar, marked on its map for up to 6 vehicles. If it is full, the estate asks you to park and walk elsewhere and come back another day.
The road
Perth and Kinross Council lists the C448 from Fortingall to Bridge of Balgie as a rural clearway: no stopping on the road or its verges. Its clearways have a limited number of lay-bys, marked with a blue P sign, and they fill up quickly. The estate asks walkers not to park on verges, in lay-bys or in passing places.
Food
The estate's leaflet suggests the post office at Bridge of Balgie for lunch or tea and cakes. In 2026 the branch opens from 10am every day but Wednesday, but those are the counter's hours, not the kitchen's, so check before counting on lunch.
On the hill today
1° to 4°Drizzle on the summit, 968 m. Feels like −3° in the wind.

West wind to 13 mph, gusting 26
Dry, or nearly
Light from 7.50am to 6.14pm, ten hours

Sat 17Mostly clear−2° to 3° on top · 9 mph, gusts 20
Sun 18Clear−3° to 4° on top · 7 mph, gusts 15
Mon 19Drizzle−6° to 5° on top · 5 mph, gusts 12

A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: Southeastern Highlands forecast, West Highlands forecast, South Grampian and Southeast Highlands mountain forecast, Meall Garbh, No avalanche forecast for these hills.

October2026

MTWTFSS

Going another day?

Choose the day you mean to climb.Near or far: the light you will have, and what the summit is likely to be doing.

Before you go

Carry

  • A paper map and a compass, and the skill to use them
  • Waterproofs, warm layers, hat and gloves
  • Food and drink
  • A head torch, a whistle and a first aid kit
  • A survival bag
  • Boots with a good grip

Under snow and ice this is a different day, with short light and the risk of avalanche. It needs an ice axe, crampons, winter boots and the skill to use them.

If something goes wrong

  • Dial 999, ask for the police, then mountain rescue
  • Give a six-figure grid reference: the summit is NN 647 516
  • Say how many are hurt, how many are with you, and your number
  • Register to text 999 before the day: text the word register to 999

The summit is optional. Turning back is the right decision whenever the cloud, the wind or the light say so.

How to call for help in the hills · Safety and skills for the hills · ThinkWINTER

From our readers

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From the magazine
Read more elsewhere

For the route itself, take the map and read these.

Sleep and eat at its foot

Next along: Carn Gorm, Carn Mairg, Meall na Aighean, Schiehallion. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are North Chesthill Estate's, Perth and Kinross Council's, Mountaineering Scotland's and the Post Office's; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's, the Met Office's and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service's. Height and position from The Database of British and Irish Hills, v18.3, adapted, CC BY 4.0. This page is not a route description and does not replace a map.