Number 213 of 282 by height · West Highlands
Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach)
3,124 ft (952 m)
Facts
- Grid reference
- NN 161 583
- Latitude, longitude
- 56.68074, -5.00329
- Area
- West Highlands
The walk up
No route line yet: the mapped paths near the summit do not join up with a car park. See Getting there below for the nearest place to park.
Summit conditions
From Sunday 1 November, 20:25. Not live.
- Weather
- Clear sky
- Temperature
- 32°F (0°C)
- Wind
- 2 mph (3 km/h) from the north
- Cloud cover
- 5%
- Rain or snow, next hour
- None
- Freezing level, rough estimate
- 3,225 ft (983 m)
- Sunrise, sunset
- 07:28, 16:38
Getting there
By car
Car park with no name on the map. Free to park. The nearest public car park to the summit, 1.0 mi (1.6 km) away in a straight line. Not necessarily the usual start.
Driving directions to the Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach) car park56.66812,-4.99058
By train
Nearest station: Fort William, 11 mi (18 km) from the car park. Too far to walk in from.
By bus
Nearest bus stop on the map: Post Office, 3.2 mi (5.2 km) from the car park. Check the times first: many Highland buses run only a few times a day.
Public transport directionsBus and train times on Traveline Scotland
About Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach)
Meall Dearg is the eastern of the two Munros on the Aonach Eagach, the long, rocky ridge that forms the northern wall of Glen Coe. Sgorr nam Fiannaidh, the higher of the pair, lies 1.3 miles to the west. On both sides the ridge falls away in steep grass and scree that hide even steeper ground and cliffs.
The ridge is often rated the hardest scrambling ridge on the Scottish mainland, rivalled by Liathach and, in winter, An Teallach. The climber Noel Williams graded it 2 but warned that there are no safe ways down the south side. In winter it becomes a Grade I/II climb.
Meall Dearg rises 395 ft (120 m) above the col linking it to higher ground, and its subsidiary top is Am Bodach, at the east end of the ridge. A cairn marks the summit. About 4 miles further east, the Devil's Staircase crosses the range. It was named by General Wade's road builders, and troops took it in 1692 on their way to reinforce the Massacre of Glencoe.
Tops on Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach)
One lower summit in the Munro tables, not counted as separate Munros. Keen baggers tick these too.
| Top | Height | From the summit |
|---|---|---|
| Am BodachNN 168 580 | 3,090 ft (942 m) | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) |
Through the year
Hours of daylight on Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach) in the middle of each month. The shorter the day, the earlier you need to start.
Stag stalking season, 1 July to 20 October. On many estates, walkers are asked to keep to set routes on stalking days: check the Scottish Outdoor Access Code site's Heading for the Scottish Hills service before you go.
Nearest Munros
| Munro | Height | Straight-line distance |
|---|---|---|
| Sgorr nam Fiannaidh (Aonach Eagach) | 3,175 ft (968 m) | 1.3 mi (2.1 km) |
| Bidean nam Bian | 3,771 ft (1,149 m) | 2.8 mi (4.5 km) |
| Stob Coire Raineach (Buachaille Etive Beag) | 3,033 ft (925 m) | 2.9 mi (4.7 km) |
Common questions about Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach)
- How high is Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach)?
- Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach) is 3,124 ft (952 m), number 213 of the 282 Munros by height, in the West Highlands.
- How long does it take to climb Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach)?
- We do not have a mapped route up Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach) yet, because the paths near the summit are not joined up on the map. Plan it with a proper map and allow a long day.
- Where do you park for Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach)?
- The nearest public car park to the summit is a car park with no name on the map. It is free to park.
- Can you climb Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach) without a car?
- The nearest railway station is Fort William, 11 mi (18 km) from the start, and the nearest bus stop on the map is Post Office, 3.2 mi (5.2 km) from the start. Highland trains and buses are few, so check times on Traveline Scotland before you go.
- When is the best time to climb Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach)?
- Daylight runs from about 18 hours in mid June to 7 hours in mid December, so summer gives the most time. From 1 July to 20 October it is the stag stalking season, when some estates ask walkers to keep to set routes. In winter, snow and ice turn most Munros into mountaineering terrain.
A guide only. Mountain conditions change fast: carry a map and compass and know how to use them, and read the mountain forecast for the West Highlands before you go.
Questions
Where can I get a proper mountain forecast?
Read the Mountain Weather Information Service forecast for the West Highlands, written by forecasters for walkers and climbers. In winter, also read the Scottish Avalanche Information Service report for the area.
Where does the summit weather come from?
From MET Norway's forecast model, fetched for every Munro once an hour at the summit's own height. It is computer output for one point, not a forecast written for mountains, so treat it as a guide. The past hours are what the forecast said at the time. Wind chill, the freezing level and sunrise and sunset are worked out by this site from those figures; the freezing level assumes temperature drops steadily with height, so it can be well out when cold air sits in the glens.
Where do the car parks and bus stops come from?
From OpenStreetMap. Distances are straight lines, not the way you would walk or drive. A bus stop on the map says nothing about how often a bus calls: many Highland buses run a few times a day, some only on school days or by booking, so check Traveline Scotland first. The map cannot tell whether a car park is on a public road, so a remote one may only be reachable on foot or by train.
Where do the Gaelic names and stories come from?
From the hill's article on English Wikipedia and its Wikidata entry, put into a few words of our own. Meanings and pronunciations are only given where the article states them; many Gaelic hill names are old and their meaning is uncertain. Read the full article.
Where do the height and grid reference come from?
From the Database of British and Irish Hills, the surveyed list most baggers use. Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach) is hill 179 there.
Sources: Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata, Copernicus elevation data, Sentinel-2 cloudless imagery by EOX. All credits and licences.