How hard is Meall na Aighean?

We grade Meall na Aighean at 4/5, which puts it in challenging territory. The usual route is around 7km with 850m of climbing; allow 5-8 hours. Underfoot: The Invervar Burn track is firm peat.

What is Meall na Aighean's prominence?

136m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Meall na Aighean to the next higher ground.

Where do I park for Meall na Aighean?

Most walkers start from NN666483. Verify the grid reference on an OS map before you set off — space is tight on busy summer weekends.

When is the best time to climb Meall na Aighean?

May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Meall na Aighean. Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.

Is Meall na Aighean dog-friendly?

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

By Gary

Photo: Jim Barton / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

Submit a photo

Munro · Fife & Perthshire

Meall na Aighean

Meall na Aighean (982m) — also known as Creag Mhòr in some lists — is the easternmost Munro of the Càrn Mairg group on the north side of Glen Lyon, the four-Munro chain often climbed as a horseshoe round from Invervar. The hill is the southernmost and least dramatic of the four, but its position gives perhaps the best southward views across Glen Lyon and Loch Rannoch towards the Mamores and Ben Nevis.

Quick facts

Height: 982.1m/ 3222ft
Prominence: 136 m
Distance: ~7 km
Ascent: ~850 m
Time: 5–8 hrs
Difficulty: 4 / 5Serious
Grid ref: NN694496
Parking: NN666483
Nearest city: Perth· 50km
Dogs: Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

Height and prominence cross-checked against the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY).

No GPX track yet

Walked this route? Share your track to help other walkers.

Submit your GPX

Standard route

Glen approach 25% · Open hillside 45% · Summit 30%

7km · 850m ascent · 2.8 hrs

See Càrn Mairg for the standard full four-Munro Invervar horseshoe. Meall na Aighean is the last summit reached on the standard clockwise traverse — climbed via the connecting ridge from Càrn Mairg over a deep bealach. Descent is down the long south ridge directly to Invervar. As a single Munro, the south ridge gives a direct ascent of around 7km return with 850m of climb.

Terrain

The Invervar Burn track is firm peat. Meall na Aighean's south ridge is open hillside on grass and heather, pathless until higher up. The summit forms a small rocky outcrop on a broad upland top. The connecting ridge west to Càrn Mairg involves a deep peat-hagged bealach — slow underfoot. The Glen Lyon road is narrow single-track.

In winter

A reasonably benign Càrn Mairg group winter day. Broad mossy summits gather wind-blown snow but offer few avalanche-prone slopes. The deep bealach connecting to Càrn Mairg drifts heavily. The Glen Lyon road can drift closed in heavy snow. Phone reception in the glen is reasonable; absent on the tops.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Meall na Aighean. SAIS forecasts six areas only — Northern and Southern Cairngorms, Creag Meagaidh, Lochaber, Glencoe and Torridon — and this hill is outside all of them, so there is no avalanche forecast to read for it. In winter, use MWIS Southeastern Highlands ↗ for mountain weather, judge snow stability from first principles, and treat any cornice or wind-loaded slope with extra caution.

Best time of year

Best OK Avoid

Getting there

Glasgow2h 48m
Edinburgh2h 0m

Parking: NN666483

OS maps: OS Landranger 51

Mobile signal: Reasonable signal at Invervar. Signal thins beyond 800m. Get maps saved before starting out.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 46mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:31
Sunset: 19:58
Civil dawn: 05:52
Civil dusk: 20:38

NOAA Solar Calculator · 7 September 2026

Pair with

Curated multi-hill combinations from Meall na Aighean.

Classic round
Meall na Aighean + Carn Mairg
Meall na Aighean as part of the four-Munro Carn Mairg horseshoe from Invervar.
18km · 1300m ascent · 7 hrs

Got a photo of Meall na Aighean?

30 seconds, helps other walkers.

Submit a photo

Walked it with a GPX?

From your watch or phone.

Submit GPX

Trip report?

Share what it was actually like.

Get in touch →

Around Meall na Aighean on the SCOT network

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

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Blair Atholl station

Beinn a Ghlo; Glen Tilt corridor north to the Cairngorms

24km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Aberfeldy

Loch Tay base — Ben Lawers, Tarmachan ridge, Birks of Aberfeldy

16km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Aberfeldy

Aberfeldy — heart of Dewar's blends; honey-and-heather Highland style

16km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

Before you go

Hillwalking carries real risk and the responsibility for any day on the hill is yours. Conditions in Scotland change fast and can differ sharply from the forecast — check the weather and the ground before you commit, turn back when the day stops working, and carry map and compass with the ability to use them rather than relying on a phone.

The distance, ascent and time shown on this page are editorial estimates for the usual line, not measurements from a recorded track — that is what the ~ means. Treat them as a rough shape of the day. Your own pace, the conditions and the exact line you take will all move them.

Mountain forecasts: MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast. Access rights and responsibilities are set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

We check what we publish, but we cannot check the route on the day you walk it. Nothing here is a substitute for your own judgement.

Meall na Aighean — common questions

How hard is Meall na Aighean?: We grade Meall na Aighean at 4/5, which puts it in challenging territory. The usual route is around 7km with 850m of climbing; allow 5-8 hours. Underfoot: The Invervar Burn track is firm peat.
What is Meall na Aighean's prominence?: 136m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Meall na Aighean to the next higher ground.
Where do I park for Meall na Aighean?: Most walkers start from NN666483. Verify the grid reference on an OS map before you set off — space is tight on busy summer weekends.
When is the best time to climb Meall na Aighean?: May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Meall na Aighean. Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.
Is Meall na Aighean dog-friendly?: 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 Meall na Aighean?: Reasonable signal at Invervar. Signal thins beyond 800m. Get maps saved before starting out.
Is Meall na Aighean safe in winter?: A reasonably benign Càrn Mairg group winter day. Broad mossy summits gather wind-blown snow but offer few avalanche-prone slopes. The deep bealach connecting to Càrn Mairg drifts heavily. The Glen Lyon road can drift closed in heavy snow. Phone reception in the glen is reasonable; absent on the tops.

Get the OutdoorSCOT weekly

One email a week — new route, hill and bothy guides, seasonal conditions and the odd hard-won lesson. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.