Meall Glas
| Meall Glas | |||
| Perthshire | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 The Meall Glas group from above Crianlarich | |||
| Range: | Mamlorn Hills | ||
| Summit: | 3,146 feet NN431321 56°27’18"N, 4°32’51"W | ||
Meall Glas is a mountain in Perthshire, which reaches a height of 3,146 feet at its summit, and so it qualifies as a Munro. It stands on the northern border of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, five miles north-east of Crianlarich.
Overview
Meall Glas by its height above 3,000 feet has earned Munro status. It is the highest point of the high rolling uplands between Glen Lochay and Glen Dochart, an area lacking distinctive mountainous character.[1] Another Munro, Sgiath Chuil, is a mile and a half to the east; while Beinn nan Imirean is a mile and a half to the south-west. The three hills can be climbed together in the same walk.
Meall Glas is overshadowed by the more impressive mountains around Crianlarich. Its name, which translates from the Gaelic as “Greenish-grey hill” suggests its topographic character. It was probably named by the inhabitants of Glen Lochay to which it shows its more impressive northern outline, with the summit ridge seen as a curving hollow.[2] The hill is not well seen from Glen Dochart to the south, from where it is usually climbed, being observed as merely the top of rising moorland.
Geography
Meall Glas comprises mainly rolling grassy slopes, with two main ridges. The northwest ridge drops from the summit to Glen Lochay and can be used as an ascent route. The other ridge curves east round the lip of Coire Cheathaich, passing over an unnamed top at 2,979 feet before swinging northeast to the Munro Top of Beinn Cheathaich (3,074 feet), a mile from the main peak.
Broad slopes to the east descend to the Lairig a’ Churain (1,998 feet) which connects to the adjacent Munro of Sgiath Chuil.
Beinn Cheathaich
Beinn Cheathaich (56°27’35"N, 4°31’36"W) is a subsidiary top of Meall Glas, standing at 3,074 feet and listed accordingly as a Munro Top.
In Sir Hugh Munro's original tables of 1891, Beinn Cheathaich was listed as the Munro in its own right, with Meall Glas as the "Top", an error rectified in the 1921 revision.[3] From Beinn Cheathaich the ridge swings north and drops to Glen Lochay.
Geology
The mountain is made up of schist rocks of the Dalradian group, with outcrops of pink granite on the mountain's upper slopes. The south side of the mountain has a broad shelf at a height of around 1,480 feet, the result of lateral erosion by glaciers in the Ice Age.[4]
Ascents and view
Meall Glas can be climbed from either Glen Dochart or Glen Lochay. The southern approach from Glen Dochart is the most popular because of ease of access by car. The route starts at Auchessan (56°24’54"N, 4°31’14"W) on the A85 road and goes north across moorland to reach the summit ridge just to the east of the highest point.[5] The northern approach starts at the road end in Glen Lochay at Kenknock (56°29’40"N, 4°29’42"W).
The route proceeds for a mile west up the glen, crosses the River Lochay by a ford (the bridge has gone) and follows a track by the Lubchurran Burn which goes south and west and before reaching the summit by way of Beinn Cheathaich, the subsidiary top.[6]
The summit of Meall Glas is marked by a small cairn perched on a rocky outcrop. The mountain has a considerable prominence of 1,818 feet and is a good viewpoint, with the Mamlorn Hills around the head of Glen Lochay and the Crianlarich Hills to the south-west looking especially fine.
References
- The Munros, Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 1986, Donald Bennett (Editor) ISBN 0-907521-13-4
- In the Hills of Breadalbane, V.A. Firsoff, no ISBN
- The Munros, Scotland's Highest Mountains, Cameron McNeish, ISBN 1-84204-082-0
- The Magic Of The Munros, Irvine Butterfield, ISBN 0-7153-2168-4
- Hamish's Mountain Walk, Hamish Brown, ISBN 1-898573-08-5
- ↑ "The Southern Highlands" Page 165 Gives description of area.
- ↑ "The Magic of the Munros" Page 35 Gives details of name and translation.
- ↑ The Munros and Tops 1891-1997. Spreadsheet giving details of changes in successive editions of Munro's Tables.
- ↑ "In The Hills of Breadalbane" Pages 151 - 153 Gives geology and details of glaciation.
- ↑ "The Munros" Page 36 Gives description of southern approach.
- ↑ "The Munros, Scotland‘s Highest Mountains" Page 43 Gives description of northern approach.
| Munros in SMC Area SMC Section 2 - Loch Tay to Rannoch Moor |
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Stuc a' Chroin • An Stùc • Beinn a' Chreachain • Beinn Achaladair • Beinn an Dothaidh • Beinn Dorain • Beinn Ghlas • Beinn Heasgarnich • Beinn Mhanach • Ben Challum • Ben Lawers • Carn Gorm • Carn Mairg • Creag Mhòr • Meall a' Choire Leith • Meall Buidhe, Perthshire • Meall Corranaich • Meall Garbh (Càrn Mairg) • Meall Garbh (Lawers) • Meall Ghaordie • Meall Glas • Meall Greigh • Meall na Aighean • Meall nan Tarmachan • Schiehallion • Sgiath Chuil • Stuchd an Lochain |