Meall Garbh (Ben Lawers)

Meall Garbh, at 1,118 metres, is part of the fine Ben Lawers range and forms the central peak of the classic horseshoe circuit around the corrie containing Lochan nan Cat. For many years it shared the same recorded height as neighbouring An Stùc on Ordnance Survey maps, though more recent surveys have shown Meall Garbh to be considerably higher.

Most walkers reach this summit from Meall Greigh, descending to the boggy bealach of Lairig Innein before climbing grassy slopes that become better defined higher up, curving round to a rocky minor false top — take care here, since the true summit lies slightly further on across a shallow gap, marked by a cairn. The views from the top are outstanding, taking in Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas to the south-west, Meall Corranaich and Meall a' Choire Lèith to the west, and the full sweep of the range.

From the summit, a good path descends south-west down stony slopes to a bealach, from where the ridge starts to zig-zag steeply up towards An Stùc — the drop from Meall Garbh to this bealach and the subsequent climb is where the day's technical difficulty begins in earnest.

The full circuit taking in Meall Greigh, Meall Garbh, and An Stùc from the Lawers Hotel car park is around 17 kilometres, typically six to eight hours, with the option to extend further to Ben Lawers itself for those with energy remaining.

The ridge to Meall Garbh is generally straightforward walking, though sections can be genuinely boggy, particularly around Lairig Innein — the real seriousness of this round lies immediately beyond, on the scramble up An Stùc, so this should be approached as one continuous, committing mountain day rather than three easy summits with one hard bit tacked on.

The Ben Lawers Hotel car park is chargeable; there is no other public transport directly to the start.