Meall Garbh

The walk up Meall Garbh from Killin is one of those Scottish hill days that reminds you why people spend good money to visit Perthshire. You're looking at a proper Munro - 1,118 metres of granite and heather that commands serious views across Loch Tay when conditions are on your side.

The ascent itself takes around three hours from the village, following the burn up through mixed terrain. It's steep in places, particularly the final push to the summit, but nothing technical if you've got reasonable fitness. The reward is the sort of panoramic vista that makes photographers linger longer than planned - on a clear day, you can trace the spine of the Tay valley south and pick out Ben Lawers sitting across the loch like a proper neighbour.

This is unmistakably a walker's mountain, not a casual stroll with a picnic. Come expecting to work for the view. Families with younger children would struggle with the duration and gradient, though confident hill-walking families would rate it highly. Experienced hikers often link Meall Garbh with its nearby neighbours as part of a longer ridge walk - the variety keeps things interesting across the day.

Best tackled in stable weather; cloud can render the summit dull and visibility becomes a genuine safety issue. Spring through autumn works, though midges in July and August can be relentless. Killin has shops and cafés for provisioning, and staying at nearby Kilvrecht Campsite or Tighnavon Glamping Pods puts you minutes from the trailhead - genuinely convenient base for a serious hill weekend.