How hard is Tom Meadhoin?

Tom Meadhoin is rated 3/5 (moderately challenging) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. The standard route covers about 12km with 466m of ascent and takes most walkers 3-5 hours. Terrain: Forestry tracks for the first half-hour give way to heather and bracken on the open hillside.

Where do I park for Tom Meadhoin?

Standard parking is at NN100623 near Fort William. Check the parking grid reference on an OS map before travel; informal laybys can fill on summer weekends.

When is the best time to climb Tom Meadhoin?

The standard good-weather months for Tom Meadhoin are March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. Outside those months, expect winter conditions on the high ground — full mountain kit, navigation skills, and a check of the SAIS avalanche forecast for the relevant region.

Can I bring my dog up Tom Meadhoin?

Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.

How hard is Tom Meadhoin?

Tom Meadhoin is rated 3/5 (moderately challenging) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. The standard route covers about 12km with 466m of ascent and takes most walkers 3-5 hours. Terrain: Forestry tracks for the first half-hour give way to heather and bracken on the open hillside.

Where do I park for Tom Meadhoin?

Standard parking is at NN100623 near Fort William. Check the parking grid reference on an OS map before travel; informal laybys can fill on summer weekends.

When is the best time to climb Tom Meadhoin?

The standard good-weather months for Tom Meadhoin are March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. Outside those months, expect winter conditions on the high ground — full mountain kit, navigation skills, and a check of the SAIS avalanche forecast for the relevant region.

Can I bring my dog up Tom Meadhoin?

Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.

By Gary Innes

Photo: Steven Brown / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Graham · Glen Coe & Lochaber

Tom Meadhoin

Tom Meadhoin (621m), the middle knoll, lifts above Kinlochleven in the NN06 square between Loch Leven and the Mamores. The summit is a rock cushion in grass at the end of a gentle ridge running east from the village. The view down Loch Leven is one of the best gifts of a hill this size, with the Glen Coe tops and the south side of the Mamores filling the horizon.

Quick facts

Height: 621.8m/ 2040ft
Distance: 12 km
Ascent: 466 m
Time: 3–5 hrs
Difficulty: 3 / 5Strenuous
Grid ref: NN087621
Parking: NN100623
Nearest city: Fort William
Dogs: Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

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Standard route

heather moorland 65% · grass slopes 25% · rocky summit 10%

12km · 466m ascent · 3.2 hrs

From Kinlochleven car park at NN100623 follow the West Highland Way signs out of the village onto the old military road. After about a kilometre branch onto a forest track climbing east, then leave it for the open hillside as the trees thin. The summit knob is reached in three to four hours round trip. Take care on the descent through the forestry, which has many criss-crossing tracks.

Terrain

Forestry tracks for the first half-hour give way to heather and bracken on the open hillside. The upper ridge is a sequence of grass-and-rock terraces, easy to walk and pleasant in summer. The Allt na Sguabaidh on the south side runs in a steep gorge — keep clear of its lip.

In winter

Kinlochleven is one of the wettest spots in Scotland and Tom Meadhoin's rock terraces ice over readily. The forestry tracks become greasy underfoot in shaded sections. The hill is well suited to a short midwinter day if conditions are settled, but the Mamores SAIS forecast is the right reference for upper-slope avalanche conditions.

This hill is in the Glen Coe SAIS forecast area. Check SAIS forecasts in winter (December–April).

Best time of year

Best OK Avoid

Getting there

Glasgow2h 19m
Edinburgh3h 7m

Parking: NN100623

OS maps: OS Landranger 41

Mobile signal: Good in Kinlochleven; patchy on the upper hill.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

19h 18mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 04:39
Sunset: 21:57
Civil dawn: 03:39
Civil dusk: 22:57

NOAA Solar Calculator · 31 May 2026

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Around Tom Meadhoin on the SCOT network

Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Fort William station

Ben Nevis, Mamores, Aonachs, Knoydart ferry connection

12km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Fort William

Ben Nevis base, West Highland Line, gateway to Lochaber

12km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Ben Nevis Distillery

Fort William — Lochaber distillery at the foot of the Ben; long-aged Japanese-owned classics

14km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

Tom Meadhoin — common questions

How hard is Tom Meadhoin?: Tom Meadhoin is rated 3/5 (moderately challenging) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. The standard route covers about 12km with 466m of ascent and takes most walkers 3-5 hours. Terrain: Forestry tracks for the first half-hour give way to heather and bracken on the open hillside.
Where do I park for Tom Meadhoin?: Standard parking is at NN100623 near Fort William. Check the parking grid reference on an OS map before travel; informal laybys can fill on summer weekends.
When is the best time to climb Tom Meadhoin?: The standard good-weather months for Tom Meadhoin are March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. Outside those months, expect winter conditions on the high ground — full mountain kit, navigation skills, and a check of the SAIS avalanche forecast for the relevant region.
Can I bring my dog up Tom Meadhoin?: Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.
Is there mobile signal on Tom Meadhoin?: Good in Kinlochleven; patchy on the upper hill.
Is Tom Meadhoin safe in winter?: Kinlochleven is one of the wettest spots in Scotland and Tom Meadhoin's rock terraces ice over readily. The forestry tracks become greasy underfoot in shaded sections. The hill is well suited to a short midwinter day if conditions are settled, but the Mamores SAIS forecast is the right reference for upper-slope avalanche conditions.