Two Munros With Least Ascent. One unforgettable view.
- aarondowds
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Yesterday’s alarm went off at 5am.The kind of alarm that feels deeply unreasonable when the room is warm and dark and the rest of Scotland is still asleep.
But by 7:30am I was pulling on boots at Balsporran Cottages beneath the Drumochter hills, ready for one of the most efficient Munro days in Scotland — A’ Mharconaich and Geal Chàrn route on Walkhighlands, two munros with least ascent.
And what a day it turned out to be.
The weather had that classic Highland contradiction about it. Down low it looked calm enough, but the higher I climbed the colder it became. The wind across the tops had real bite to it — hat on, gloves on, extra layers zipped right up. It was the kind of cold that wakes you fully and reminds you these hills still command respect even in spring.
Yet the visibility was superb.
Blue skies drifted in and out with high cloud, and every so often the landscape opened wide enough to stop me in my tracks.
This route is famous for being one of the least demanding ways to bag two Munros in Scotland. Starting high beside the A9 means the total ascent is only around 731m for both summits. (walkhighlands)
Many walkers consider it one of the lowest-ascent two-Munro combinations in the country, and it certainly must be among the easiest returns for two Munros anywhere in Scotland.
That’s what makes it such a brilliant route.
You get the reward of big mountain scenery without the endless grind of huge elevation gain.
The average walking time is usually around 4–5 hours depending on pace and conditions, though yesterday I managed it in about 3.5 hours with plenty of time to stop and stare at the views. (walkhighlands)
The climb up Geal Chàrn is straightforward and steady. Wide Highland openness. Rolling terrain. Quietness. The sort of landscape that feels expansive rather than dramatic — until suddenly it isn’t.
Because the moment that stayed with me all day came just after Geal Chàrn.
Descending towards the bealach before A’ Mharconaich, the land opens and Loch Ericht suddenly reveals itself in full length.
And honestly… it stopped me.
The loch seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance, framed by huge Highland hills and layered ridges fading blue into the horizon. One of those views that feels far bigger than a photograph can ever capture.
Walkhighlands specifically mentions the “superb views along the length of Loch Ericht” from this section of the route — and they’re absolutely right. (walkhighlands)
Loch Ericht itself is fascinating. At over 23km long, it’s one of the largest freshwater lochs in Scotland and was carved by glaciers through the Highlands thousands of years ago. It sits along a major geological fault line and reaches depths of over 500 feet in places. Today it forms part of a hydro-electric scheme, but despite that it still feels wild and remote — surrounded by Munros and vast empty landscapes.
Standing there yesterday, with cold wind blowing across the ridge and the loch disappearing into the distance, it felt like looking into the heart of the Highlands.
Along the route I spotted patches of lingering frost in sheltered ground, distant snow streaks still clinging to higher corries, ravens riding the wind, and the huge rolling Drumochter landscape opening in every direction. These hills may not have the dramatic scrambling ridges of Glencoe or Skye, but there’s a spaciousness here that has its own kind of beauty.
A’ Mharconaich itself is the shapelier of the two hills, with a much more defined profile above the pass. From the summit, the views stretched across the Cairngorms, the Ben Alder range and the long spine of the Highlands under shifting light.
And then before long, it was simply a case of turning downhill and heading back towards the car park — two Munros completed before many people had even started their day.
That’s the beauty of this route.
Minimal ascent. Massive reward.
A reminder that sometimes you don’t need the hardest mountain day to experience something unforgettable.