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Schiehallion

Length: 6 miles (there and back) Height climbed: 2465ft./754m Grade: A Parking: Car park at start of walk Toilet facilities: At car park Schiehallion is one of the finest and best known of Scottish mountains, not because of its height (3554ft/1083m), but because of its distinctive conical shape. The hill, which stands on its own, can be seen well from the Queen's View on Loch Tummel. The best view however is from the road along the north side of Loch Rannoch. It is Schiehallion's conical shape which led to its major claim to fame, since it made it ideal for use in early experiments to judge the weight of the Earth, which started in 1774. The experiments were not an unqualified success, but during the expedition Charles Hutton invented Contour Lines as an aid to surveying the mountain. There is a cairn to commemorate this event at the entrance to the car pack. The walk itself appears deceptively easy from the starting point, but nobody should attempt it without heavy footwear and waterproof clothing, together with previous hillwalking experience. To reach the walk from Aberfeldy, follow the B846 road for Tummel Bridge and you will find the road end five miles beyond Coshieville. Two miles along this road you will see a cairn on your left and a road leading to a car park in a stand of trees. The start of the path is clearly marked, but once on the moors it becomes less obvious. There are a number of paths crossing this stretch, but always aim towards the main ridge of the mountain, where the path which leads to the summit is well defined. You should encounter no great problems until you approach the summit itself, which is a jumble of huge quartzite boulders. This can be difficult but there are a series of cairns along this section which clearly mark the best route. The views from the summit, on a clear day, are spectacular. While on Schiehallion, keep an eye open for patches of snow which are treacherous to walk on. Low cloud can also reduce visibility to a minimum very quickly and it can also be particularly cold and damp. Return by the same route.

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