Meall Ghaordie

Meall Ghaordie
Perthshire
Meall Ghaordaidh (C) from An Grianan, across Glen Lyon
Range:	Mamlorn Hills
Summit:	3,409 feet NN514397

Meall Ghaordaidh is a mountain amongst the Mamlorn Hills of Perthshire. It climbs to a lofty 3,409 feet at its summit, and so it qualifies as a Munro.

The mountain is to be found about 6¼ miles northwest of Killin.

Name

The name of the mountain has taken a few turns over the years, aided by the instability in the spelling of the Gaelic language and fashions for transcribing its names. Centuries ago the mountain was mapped as Bin-Gyroy. One-inch maps in the early 1900s referred to it as Meall Ghaordaidh, then for some reason it changed to Meall Ghaordie in the 1920s. Current maps opt for Meall Ghaordaidh, though the Munro Tables have consistently named the mountain Meall Ghaordie (albeit that the Scottish Mountaineering Club guide to the Munros has it as Meall Ghaordaidh).

'Ghaordaidh' could mean a part of the body such as the upper arm or shoulder, possibly from the Gaelic "gairdean," so may mean rounded hill of the shoulder, a description that could apply to many a hill. Idle speculation may look to the early inhabitants of Glen Lochay to have named this one for, apart from its small area of summit crags, the southern slopes are broad and grassy. The old shielings on these lower slopes would support this idea. From the Glen Lyon side, however, meall seems wrong for the shape of the hill: three craggy spurs jut towards the glen – Creag an Tulabhain, Creag Laoghain and Creagan an t-Stuichd.

Ascent

The mountain can be climbed by way of Glen Lochay starting to the northwest of the Allt Dhùin Croisg near Duncroisk, by way of an eroded path leading north-west through peat bogs to the summit; alternatively, an ascent can be made from Glen Lyon starting at Stronuich by way of one of two spurs that lead to the summit (Creag an Tulabhain or Creag Laoghain). The summit is marked by a large circular rock windbreak, within which there is a trig point.

One of the less distinguished Munros, Meall Ghaordie is essentially a blunt nose that lifts itself above the rough moorland of the long, undulating ridge that stretches between the Lairig Breisleich and the Lairig nan Lunn; passes which connect Glen Lochay in the south with Glen Lyon in the north. The normal guidebook route follows the long grassy slopes from Glen Lochay to the south. An alternative route from Glen Lyon to the north is marginally more attractive, thanks to a couple of notable rocky spurs, Creag an Tulabhain and Creag Laoghain.

A long trudge of some 2,700 feet from Duncroisk follows grassy slopes, the monotony of which is only broken by some rocky outcrops near the summit ridge.

From the summit of Meall Ghaordie, a northeast ridge drops to a high bealach from where steep slopes climb to the summit of the shapely Beinn nan Oighreag. From here another ridge stretches north above the Lairig Breisleich before dwindling out above the Lochan na Lairig road (the high-level road that runs past the Ben Lawers Visitor Centre) as it descends to Bridge of Balgie in Glen Lyon.