Photographs, route description and map of an ascent of the Corbett Meall an t-Seallaidh via Glen Kirkton above Balquidder

Route Description and Map for Creag Macranaich

Route Map for Creag Macranaich

and Meall an t-Seallaidh

MEALL an t-SEALLAIDH and CREAG MACRANAICH - ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

Location: Lochearnhead, Stirlingshire
Map: OS Landranger 51 ( GR542234 )
Distance: 11 miles ( 18km )
Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Terrain: tracks and open hillside

The high ground between Lochearnhead and Balquhidder is dominated by two corbetts, Meall an t-Seallaidh and its near neighbour Creag Mac Ranaich.
The former is the higher and bulkier of the two, but the latter is rockier and more interesting.
Both hills are easily climbed from the high point on the vehicle track up Glen Klendrum which divides them, but this is a dull route for summit-tickers in a hurry.
Hillwalkers wanting a bit more exercise and mountain environment can combine the two peaks into a longer and more interesting round.
Park at the large car park on the A85 at the eastern end of Lochearnhead and walk west to the village centre. Cross over and turn right towards Glen Ogle, to
reach Lochearnhead Scout Station at the north end of the village and a sign for the Glen Ogle Trail, and ascend the path to the line of the old railway.
Cross the old railway line and straight up to a rickety gate in the deer fence. Go through this with care and ascend the hillside - which has extensive views over Loch Earn
- to gain a fence, which in turn leads to the top of craggy Meall Reamhar and views north to Meall nan Tarmachan and Ben Lawers.
Creag Mac Ranaich’s craggy corrie lies ahead and slightly west, but a more circumspect line needs to be taken to avoid the worst of the peat hags and boggy ground.
Sticking as much as possible to the high ground, follow the old fence line round and through a boggy section to ﬁrmer ( if rougher ) ground to arrive at Meall Sgallachd, Mac Ranaich’s eastern nose.
Skirt the rocky front of Meall Sgallachd to the east and north to gain a small cairn on the top, from where a broader undulating ridge with views north-west to Stob Binnein and Ben More leads to the
top of Creag Mac Ranaich.
From the summit, follow fence posts, then steep grass, down past crags to the Glen Klendrum track.
Cross over and ascend the slope beyond to gain the broad ridge north of Cam Chreag; pass over this to the summit of Meall an t-Seallaidh.
Descend the broad south-east ridge to near its end, then follow the forest edge down into Glen Klendrum to a track which leads through the forest to a ﬁeld.
Cross the ﬁeld to the far right-hand corner where a gate gives access to the old railway, and follow this left.
Keep left at the next junction, passing under two bridges to arrive back at the Glen Ogle Trail path down to Lochearnhead.

Route Map for Meall an t-Seallaidh and Creag Macranaich

MEALL an t-SEALLAIDH and CREAG MACRANAICH - ROUTE DESCRIPTION 2:

Location: Stirlingshire
Map: OS Landranger 51
Distance: 12 miles ( 20km )
Time: 6-8 hours
Terrain: Serious hill walk

The two Corbetts of Meall an t-Scallaidh and Creag MacRanaich dominate the high hinterland of the Braes o’ Balquhidder. This route takes you onto the long ridge between Meall an Fhiodhain and Meall an t-Seallaidh from the glen. From the ridge you can drop down to the bealach between the latter and its neighbour, Creag MacRanaich, and then scramble up through a gap in the crags that girdle MacRanaich's southern ﬂanks. You can then return the same way, to the Meall an t-Seallaidh ridge before dropping back into the Kirkton Glen.
The obvious drawback to this route is that you have to cross the Meall an t~Seallaidh ridge twice.
A possible alternative route from the south leaves Edinchip and follows the length of Glen Kendrurn.
This route climbs up to the high bealach that links the two Corbetts from where both summits can be picked off, although the ascent of the ﬁnal slopes to Creag MacRanaich’s summit ridge is well protected by black, glistening crags. These crags become less daunting the farther north you walk into Gleann Dubh, but beware — a straightforward ascent through the crags on a day of good visibility can become considerably more daunting in mist or cloud.
To tackle the hills from Glen Dochart, from the Crianlarich / Lix Toll road at Ledcharrie.
Follow a sketchy path from Ledcharrie as far as the old railway line that used to run down Glen Dochart to Crianlarich.
Then follow the trackbed for about three kilometres to the mouth of Gleann Dubh, where another path reaches all the way up to the bealach between the two Corbetts. Creag MacRanaich is then easily picked off from here by taking a careful, and steep, line up grassy slopes between the crags.
Retrace the same route back to the bealach and climb easily onto the Cam Chreag outlier of Meall an t-Seallaidh.
A pleasant stroll gains the view from the summit. The silver slash of Loch Voil forms a foreground to layer upon layer of mountain slopes, and it’s easy to see why this hill is translated as ‘hill of views‘. It is a long and bumpy high-level ridge walk back towards Creag Ghlas above Ledcharrie and the descent back to the Kirkton Glen path.

Meall an t-Seallaidh Gallery