Cona' Mheall

Cona' Mheall, at 980 metres, is a remote Munro on the opposite side of the wild, rocky Coire Ghranda from Beinn Dearg, its craggy south ridge seen end-on from around Loch Glascarnoch on the A835, and for many years reputed as one of the only Munros with no summit cairn — a small cairn now marks the top.

Reached from Beinn Dearg via the Bealach an Lochain Uaine, the path passes to the right of a small lochan before traversing the southern slopes of a hillock and descending east to a lower bealach, with magnificent views south into Coire Ghranda and its fine loch below impressive cliffs. Beyond this bealach, the ascent climbs a wide, open slope of grass and scree with a final boulderfield before the summit — a faint path helps avoid the worst of the boulders, though the wild views across the corrie to Beinn Dearg's cliffs need no man-made embellishment.

An alternative and arguably more satisfying approach from the south, starting near Loch Droma, allows for an ascent of Cona' Mheall's south ridge directly — a lovely, low-grade scramble in a wild setting with an airy feel, involving competent route-finding on complex, craggy ground, though most of the difficulties can be avoided. This route is notably quieter than the standard Inverlael approach.

Combined with Beinn Dearg from Inverlael, the round trip is a demanding day, typically eight to ten hours; the southern approach taking in both peaks via the ridge scramble is around 15.7 kilometres with roughly 1,190 metres of ascent, typically seven to eight hours.

The south ridge scramble requires genuine route-finding skill even though technical difficulties are limited, and the double crossing of the Allt a' Ghabhrain on the southern approach needs care in wet weather, potentially becoming impassable — full navigation and scrambling competence are valuable assets on this remote mountain.

Parking at Inverlael or near Loch Droma is free; there is a regular bus service between Ullapool and Inverness passing on the A835.