Sub-Marilyn · North-West Highlands
Meallan Liath
Meallan Liath — the "little grey lump" — rises to 599m on the broad watershed between Loch Choire and Loch Naver in central Sutherland. The NC51 square places it at the heart of the Flow Country, surrounded by lochans and trackless peat.
Gaelic: “little rounded hill, grey” · Pronunciation: meallan lee-ah
Quick facts
- Height
- 599.7m/ 1968ft
- Prominence
- 147 m
- Grid ref
- NC 51457 50360
- Dogs
- Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗
Sub-Marilyn: 147m of drop — misses the 150m Marilyn cut by 3m. We keep it on the list as a near-miss.
Height and prominence cross-checked against the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY).
No GPX track yet
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Standard route
heather and bog 65% · grass slopes 25% · rocky summit 10%
Approach via the Loch Choire estate track from the southeast, then strike northwest across pathless moor to gain the broad grey-stone summit dome. Expect roughly 4-5 hours for the round trip from the road end.
Terrain
Quartzite blockfield caps a long approach over saturated peat. Hags reach chest-deep in places between NC51 and NC52, and there is no continuous line of cairns.
In winter
Inversions trap freezing fog over Loch Naver for days at a time. Snow rarely lies deep here but verglas on the grey stones can be lethal; an axe is sensible from December through March.
This hill is in the Torridon SAIS forecast area. Check SAIS forecasts in winter (December–April).
Best time of year
Getting there
- Glasgow7h 39m
- Edinburgh7h 17m
OS maps: OS Landranger 9, OS Explorer 447N, OS Explorer 447S
Mobile signal: Very poor. No mobile coverage. Loch Shin and surrounding hills block all signals.
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 05:04
- Sunset
- 21:45
- Civil dawn
- 04:08
- Civil dusk
- 22:41
NOAA Solar Calculator · 30 July 2026
Around Meallan Liath on the SCOT network
Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.
Meallan Liath — common questions
- Is Meallan Liath a hard climb?
- Meallan Liath is rated 2/5 (moderate) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Ground conditions: Quartzite blockfield caps a long approach over saturated peat.
- How much drop does Meallan Liath have?
- The drop is 147m: measured from the summit of Meallan Liath down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain. That leaves it 3m short of the 150m drop a Marilyn needs — DoBIH classes it a sub-Marilyn, a near-miss rather than a full Marilyn.
- What's the best month to climb Meallan Liath?
- Aim for March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October on Meallan Liath. In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.
- Can dogs go up Meallan Liath?
- Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.
- Will I get phone signal on Meallan Liath?
- Very poor. No mobile coverage. Loch Shin and surrounding hills block all signals.
- Is Meallan Liath safe in winter?
- Inversions trap freezing fog over Loch Naver for days at a time. Snow rarely lies deep here but verglas on the grey stones can be lethal; an axe is sensible from December through March.
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