The popularity of The Lawers Range never wanes as is evidenced when you arrive at the National Trust car park at 9 o’clock and it is already buzzing with walkers, many already on their way to their chosen mountain or mountains for the day; as for us, well Meall Corranaich was our destination, a belated return for a walk we had to abandon last August when on reaching the 890m bealach the winds were too strong to continue onto the main summit climb. Today however, the forecast was for much calmer conditions, albeit the chance of a wintery shower during the day.

Gaining the 890m bealach between Beinn Ghlas and Meall Corranaich is a fairly easy task of two stages, an initial walk through the enclosed nature reserve followed by a rising ascent along the path on the hillside above the Burn of Edramucky accompanied at all times by ever increasing views of the objective, Meall Corranaich, and later, on the final approach to the bealach views of Ben Lawers and An Stuc, together with Beinn Ghlas whose western slopes you have been transiting for the complete ascent, you are now sitting in the midst of four of Lawers seven Munros, just wonderful and the ideal spot to enjoy a morning snack while you sit and contemplate the view ahead, the 200 metre final climb to the summit of Meall Corranaich.

It is a steep climb, but not as difficult as first viewed from the bealach. A narrow but obvious path winds it’s way up and around the main crags, a little rocky, with some minor four point balancing and narrow ledges at times, but all very doable with care. Eventually the wider, open top is reached for the final few metres across the grassy top to the summit cairn. Our climb was uneventful apart from a short winter squall which, as forecast, blew across the hillside but was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. With the wintery squall passed, the summit was soon in bright sunshine as we settled down for a well earned and lengthy lunch break, the conditions were just perfect, visibility excellent, a coolish breeze and despite the numbers, a calm quiet filled the hillside, wonderful, one could stay there forever on such a day.

With little urgency we finally departed the summit to make our descent via the long, grassy south south west ridge, over the 941 metre top and onwards to a narrow bealach that dips down to the 810 metre height. Here we left the main ridge to head east for a short distance to clear the ridgeline and then make our descent towards the fenceline and stiles at the northern end of the enclosed nature reserve. The descent beyond the 810 metre point was over slightly rougher ground, but again nothing to difficult, and once over the high stile and back into the nature reserve it was then a short step, over the narrow Burn of Edramucky, one last pull up the other side of the burn and we were back on the main path through the nature reserve for the final two kilometres back to the car park.

If you are ever in any doubt, or anyone ever asks you why you climb Munros, just take yourself off into The Lawers Range, it will answer all the doubts and questions, and that is not just my opinion, for at the end of the day, I heard quite a few comments as to just how wonderful the day had been.

Thanks all for your company, and especially to Ian for such a great day.