Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MUNRO BAGGING
At the end of the 19th century an eager hill walker, Sir Hugh Munro, published a list of
Scottish mountains over 3000ft (914m) - a height at which he believed they gained a spe-
cial significance. He couldn't have realised that in time his name would be used to describe
any Scottish mountain over 3000ft. Many keen hill walkers now set themselves the target
of reaching the summit of (or bagging) all of Scotland's 283 Munros.
To the uninitiated it may seem odd that Munro baggers see venturing into mist, cloud
and driving rain as time well spent. However, for those who can add one or more ticks to
their list, the vagaries of the weather are part of the enjoyment, at least in retrospect. Munro
bagging is, of course, more than merely ticking off a list - it takes you to some of the wild-
est and most beautiful corners of Scotland.
Once you've bagged all the Munros you can move on to the Corbetts - hills over 2500ft
(700m), with a drop of at least 500ft (150m) on all sides - and the Donalds, lowland hills
over 2000ft (610m). And then there are the McPhies: 'eminences in excess of 300ft (90m)'
on the Isle of Colonsay.
STEVEN FALLON: CHAMPION MUNRO BAGGER
Steven Fallon, a hill walker, fell runner and qualified Mountain Leader who lives in Edinburgh, is the world's most
prolific Munro bagger, having climbed all of Scotland's 283 Munros (peaks of 3000ft and higher) no fewer than 14
times.
Do you have a favourite Munro?
Practically anything in the northwest Highlands - they tend to be pointy with
great views. I'd single out Slioch by Loch Maree; Beinn Alligin, Liathach and Beinn Eighe in Torridon; the Five
Sisters of Kintail; and all of the mountains in the Cuillin of Skye. However, my most-most-favourite has to be
Ladhar Bheinn in the Knoydart Peninsula. It's pretty remote and to reach it requires a long walk-in along the south-
ern shore of Loch Hourn. It's just so beautiful there. The mountain itself is complex with corries and ridges, and the
summit has great views over Eigg to Skye and beyond.
Which is the easiest Munro, and which is the hardest?
With only 430m of ascent over 5km, the easiest Mun-
ros have to be the Cairnwell and Carn Aosda from the Glenshee ski resort. Good paths and ski-tows make for
simple navigation over these two peaks, and if you time it right, you'll be back at the cafe in time for something to
eat. The most technically difficult has to be the aptly named Inaccessible Pinnacle in the Cuillin Hills on Skye. It's
a clamber up a long fin of rock with sensational, tremble-inducing exposure, followed by an abseil down a short but
vertical drop. Most Munro-baggers will have to enlist the help of their rock-climbing friends or hire a guide.
Check out Steven's website (
www.stevenfallon.co.uk
)
for the 10 easiest Munro walks (click on Hill Lists and
Maps/Munros/Easiest Munros).
