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Marilyn · Cairngorms

Meall Mor

A rolling 551m moorland summit between Glen Shee and Glen Isla, with the unusual feature of a half-buried medieval shieling site on its southern flank. Despite its proximity to the busy A93, walkers rarely venture this side of the road.

Gaelic: “rounded hill, big” · Pronunciation: myowl more

Quick facts

Height
551m/ 1807ft
Difficulty
2 / 5Moderate
Grid ref
NO 17332 60238
Dogs
Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

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Standard route

heather moorland 60% · grass slopes 30% · rocky summit 10%

Elevation profile coming with the GPX track

Approach from the Cray junction on the A93, taking the track east before climbing pathless heather to the broad whaleback summit. About 8km return in 3 hours; route-finding is the main challenge.

Terrain

Long heather underfoot with regular peat hags requiring small detours. The summit dome is grassy and easier going. No fences or walls to guide you in mist.

In winter

Cornices can build on the eastern lip after south-westerly snowstorms — keep well back from the rim. The featureless plateau demands bearing-and-distance navigation in cloud.

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

Best time of year

Getting there

  • Glasgow3h 13m
  • Edinburgh2h 3m

OS maps: OS Landranger 43, OS Explorer 052S, OS Explorer 381, OS Explorer 387S

Mobile signal: Poor. Remote Angus Glens/south Cairngorms area; limited coverage.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

18h 09mwalking daylight
Sunrise
04:57
Sunset
21:23
Civil dawn
04:05
Civil dusk
22:14

NOAA Solar Calculator · 15 May 2026

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