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ROUTE 11

Meall an t-Suidhe

Start/Finish	Glen Nevis Visitor Centre (NN 123 730)
Distance	14.5km/9 miles (for circuit)
Total ascent	700m/2300ft
Time	5½hr
Terrain	Paths, grassy hillsides
Max altitude	Meall an t-Suidhe 711m

As an alternative to visiting the northern corrie on Route 10, you can top out on Meall an t-Suidhe, a hill half as high as Ben Nevis but with rather better views as it’s out of the cloud more often and also closer to the rest of the scenery. It’s pronounced and sometimes spelt Melantee, the Hill of the Seat. The summit is grassy and peaceful and it is indeed comfy to sit down on. It can be done when you change your mind halfway up the Mountain Trail, or as a warm-down summit when descending the Ben towards the North Face car park (adding 1.5km, 150m, and 40mins to the descent from Ben Nevis).

See map in Route 10. Start as for Route 10 from the Nevis Visitor Centre, and follow the Mountain Track until it levels onto the halfway plateau. At once turn off left.

If descending from Ben Nevis

Come down the zigzags of the Mountain Track and across the Red Burn, and at the path junction above the half-way loch turn back sharp left (all as Route 7). Before the path drops off the edge of the plateau, turn off right.

Cross grassland past the head of Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe to cross the trickle flowing out of the loch (a proper stream flows from the other end, which is accordingly the foot of the loch). Head up the grassy and somewhat wet slope beyond, then turn right along the rounded crest, which dips then rises to the cairned summit of Meall an t-Suidhe.

On Melantee (Meall an t-Suidhe), view to Loch Linnhe

Descend northeast, on a rounded spur, with a small path vanishing. At the spur foot continue northeast, crossing a stream then following it down, to find the metal posts of an old deer fence (marked on Harveys map). A small path and quad-bike wheelmarks run alongside this. Follow it down north, to reach the Allt a’ Mhuilinn at the 300m contour. Cross the stream at the metal grating underneath a deer fence, to reach a ladder stile on the upward path – or if the stream is full, continue downstream for 150 metres to a bridge.

Head down the track and path to the North Face car park, if that’s where you started, or else follow Route 10 through Fort William for the Nevis Visitor Centre.