Meall Chuaich

Meall Chuaich, at 951 metres, is a rather rounded Munro lacking any great character, hidden up a glen near Dalwhinnie, but its position sitting slightly apart from the main Cairngorms makes it a superb viewpoint for upper Badenoch, Strathspey, and the Creag Meagaidh and Ben Alder ranges.

The route starts from layby 94 on the A9, a short distance south of Cuaich cottages. Heading north along the verge to a gate marking a clear track — often locked, though a pedestrian gate provides access — the route follows a track alongside a concrete aqueduct, part of a hydro-electric scheme, before reaching the small Cuaich power station, which generates 2.5 MW of power. Continuing up the glen, the track crosses a bridge over the Allt a' Choire Chais before, shortly before Loch Cuaich is reached, a right turn leads up the glen of the Allt Coire Chuaich, passing a private wooden bothy. Just beyond a further bridge, a path marked by a small cairn heads left through the heather, ascending the wide shoulder of Stac Meall Chuaich — boggy at first, then steep and eroded in the lower slopes. The trail skirts rightwards near the minor summit before a long, steady plod up stonier upper slopes leads to the massive cairn crowning the broad summit.

The views make up for the comparative lack of drama during the ascent: south and east lie the vast, featureless plateaux of Drumochter and the Gaick tops, north-east reveals distant Cairngorm summits, but the pick of the view is north over Badenoch and Strathspey, Meall Chuaich's cornerstone-like position giving a particularly fine outlook.

The easiest and usual return retraces the outward route; a pleasant variation descends a little north-west off the summit towards Loch Cuaich instead. For the more ambitious, this Munro can be combined with Càrn na Caim and A' Bhuidheanach Bheag via a long, pathless traverse across the hills — a considerably more demanding undertaking that shouldn't be underestimated given the steep, roughly 1,000-foot climb between Meall Chuaich and the bealach with Bogha-cloiche.

The out-and-back route from the A9 layby is around 14 kilometres with roughly 613 metres of ascent, typically four hours — a good choice for a shorter winter day since much of the distance follows a low-level track that's straightforward even in fading light.

The broad upper slopes need some navigational attention in cloudy conditions, and the lower path can be genuinely boggy — otherwise this is one of the more straightforward Munro ascents, popular as an introduction to winter hillwalking skills when conditions allow.

The A9 layby is free; Dalwhinnie has both rail and bus connections nearby.