Munro · Fife & Perthshire
Meall a' Choire Leith
Meall a' Choire Leith (926m) — "round hill of the grey corrie" — is the most westerly Munro of the Ben Lawers group, an outlying grass-covered dome separated by a deep bealach from Meall Corranaich. The summit is a small rocky cairn on a flat top with sweeping views down Glen Lyon and across to the Mamlorn group. Almost always combined with Meall Corranaich on a quiet day off the busy NTS path system.
Gaelic: “rounded hill, of the, corrie, grey” · Pronunciation: myowl uh chor-a leith
Quick facts
- Height
- 925.6m/ 3037ft
- Prominence
- 151 m
- Distance
- 16 km
- Ascent
- 815 m
- Time
- 5–8 hrs
- Grid ref
- NN612438
- Parking
- NN594416
- Nearest city
- Stirling· 54km
- Dogs
- Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗
Height and prominence cross-checked against the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY).
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Standard route
NTS path then open ground 40% · Open hillside 40% · Summit 20%
Park at the lay-by at the high point of the Ben Lawers/Lochan na Lairige minor road north of Bridge of Balgie. Climb west over Meall Corranaich first, then descend the long north ridge to the deep bealach before the final pull onto Meall a' Choire Leith. Return by retracing or by descending into Gleann Da-Eig and walking the road back. Around 11km with 900m of ascent for the pair.
Terrain
Mostly grass and short heather throughout — typical of the Lawers schist hills. The bealach between Meall Corranaich and Meall a' Choire Leith is broad and boggy. The summit dome is featureless cropped turf. No paths on the linking ridge so confident bearings needed in cloud.
In winter
A relatively benign winter outing in the Lawers group. The north-east face of Meall a' Choire Leith above Lochan na Lairige holds wind-loaded slab and the bealach drifts deep. SAIS does not formally cover the area; check MWIS West Highlands and SAIS Southern Cairngorms as proxies. The Lochan na Lairige road is gritted in normal weather.
Best time of year
Getting there
- Glasgow2h 52m
- Edinburgh2h 1m
OS maps: OS Landranger 51
Mobile signal: Good signal at the NTS Ben Lawers car park. Signal reduces above 900m. Download mapping before setting off.
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 05:01
- Sunset
- 21:46
- Civil dawn
- 04:07
- Civil dusk
- 22:40
NOAA Solar Calculator · 23 July 2026
Pair with
Curated multi-hill combinations from Meall a' Choire Leith.
Around Meall a' Choire Leith on the SCOT network
Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.
Getting there: Rannoch station
Rannoch Moor — remote West Highland Line stop; Schiehallion approach via bus
24km from the hill
tripscot.co.uk
On TripSCOTBase yourself in Aberfeldy
Loch Tay base — Ben Lawers, Tarmachan ridge, Birks of Aberfeldy
25km from the hill
tripscot.co.uk
On TasteSCOTAfter the hill: Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy — heart of Dewar's blends; honey-and-heather Highland style
25km from the hill
tastescot.co.uk
Meall a' Choire Leith — common questions
- Is Meall a' Choire Leith a hard climb?
- Meall a' Choire Leith is rated 4/5 (challenging) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. The standard route covers about 16km with 815m of ascent and takes most walkers 5-8 hours. Ground conditions: Mostly grass and short heather throughout — typical of the Lawers schist hills.
- How much drop does Meall a' Choire Leith have?
- The drop is 151m: measured from the summit of Meall a' Choire Leith down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.
- Where's the parking for Meall a' Choire Leith?
- Park at NN594416. Double-check the grid reference on an OS map first; informal laybys here fill early in high season.
- What's the best month to climb Meall a' Choire Leith?
- Aim for May, June, July, August, September, October on Meall a' Choire Leith. 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 Meall a' Choire Leith?
- 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 Meall a' Choire Leith?
- Good signal at the NTS Ben Lawers car park. Signal reduces above 900m. Download mapping before setting off.
- Is Meall a' Choire Leith safe in winter?
- A relatively benign winter outing in the Lawers group. The north-east face of Meall a' Choire Leith above Lochan na Lairige holds wind-loaded slab and the bealach drifts deep. SAIS does not formally cover the area; check MWIS West Highlands and SAIS Southern Cairngorms as proxies. The Lochan na Lairige road is gritted in normal weather.
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