Killiecrankie Circular via Meall an Daimh and Ben Vrackie

Charles C. Croser

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This is a moderate Grade A hill challenge to climb Ben Vrackie, a Class C Corbett. From the car park at the visitors' centre, Killiecrankie, the walk starts along the B8079 to a small sideroad heading under the main A9 road. You carry on up the gradual incline past Old Faskally House. Keeping to the road, you travel on a large curve upward, passing a memorial to a Jim Henderson, a Boys' Brigade Lieutenant from Dundee.

You leave the tarmac here for a grassy LRT, which zigzags gradually upwards over open fields before reaching a heavily blanketed heather moor. Look out for the heather-covered LRT a short distance from the second gate and turn onto it. The walk along this LRT is harder due to the height and spread of the heather, but you experience good views across the valley as you are up over 400m and climbing.

Contouring round the rocky massive Meall na Moine ('Round Hill on the Moor') you traverse over rough grassy ground with little or no marked path, then make a short steep climb to the shoulder between the two hills, where you will find a well-marked path leading to both summits. A gentle climb takes us to the top of Meall an Daimh ('Round Hill of the Stag'). Great views can be enjoyed here before descending via the path you came up from the shoulder and carrying on the same rough path over the broad grassy shoulder between the tops. Then there is another moderate but longer climb to the summit of Ben Vrackie ('Speckled Peak'). On the top you will find a trig-pillar and cairn with view marker. Views of the Cairngorms, Schehallion and Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh are visible on a clear day.

Descend with care from the top via a rough stone staircase to the corner of Loch a'Choire ('Corrie Loch') and take the path along the north shore contouring round Meall na Aodainn Moire ('Hill of the Large Face') to meet the LRT you were on earlier.

Scotland - Northeast Scotland - Perth and Kinross - Countryside