A' Chailleach (Monadhliath)

A' Chailleach, at 930 metres — not to be confused with the Fannichs Munro of the same name — is the third of the Monadhliath Munros above Newtonmore, and a popular destination in its own right for walkers based in the town, its summit marked by a huge cairn visible for miles around across Badenoch.

Reached from Càrn Sgulain via a crossing of the Allt Cuil na Caillich — a stream that has cut a steep little V-shaped valley into the plateau, best crossed away from the steepest drop — easy ground continues south-east to the summit, where a windshelter is set into one side of the substantial cairn.

The descent has the benefit of a rough path for much of the way, heading south initially before the gradient eases and the route crosses a boggy area, eventually dropping south-east near a burn into the glen with great views down towards Newtonmore. Around three-quarters of the way down, a small corrugated iron hut offers rough shelter on a wild day. Further down, the Allt a' Chaorainn must be crossed to reach a better path on the far side — usually possible using stones and boulders unless the burn is in spate, with a footbridge a short distance downstream offering an alternative, though in extreme spate even reaching this may require crossing the Allt Tom Dubh a' Ghobhlaich. The path down the far side soon becomes a track, leading directly down the glen past forestry plantations back to the start.

The combined round taking in all three Monadhliath Munros — Càrn Dearg, Càrn Sgulain, and A' Chailleach — from Glen Banchor is typically six to eight hours; A' Chailleach alone makes for a shorter, popular half-day outing for those based in Newtonmore.

The burn crossings on the descent demand attention to water levels, and while a rough path exists for much of the way down, the plateau crossing between the summits still requires confident navigation in poor visibility — the Monadhliath range as a whole offers a genuine sense of remoteness despite its comparative accessibility.

Parking at the end of the Glen Banchor road is free; buses and trains serve Newtonmore, around 3 kilometres from the start.