Each Munro is represented by a coloured triangle. The colour represents the Munro area that it belongs to; each of the 17 Munro areas has its own colour which is identified by a Munro area key at the bottom right hand side of the map. Munro bagging is a popular pastime in Scotland where walking enthusiasts challenge themselves to climb as many of the peaks as they can - over 6,000 people, called 'compleatists' (or Munroists) have climbed them all so far. WHY ARE THEY CALLED 'MUNROS'? Revd A E Robertson was the first to complete an entire round of the Munros in 1901. The final mountain he reached was Meall Dearg (on the Aonach Eagach) – where the Revd famously kissed first the cairn, and then his wife. In 1923 another Reverend, Ronald Burn, became the second Munroist as well as the first person to climb all the subsidiary Tops. After reaching the top of Coire nan Lochan you’ll see the path petering out into a box canyon which requires a scramble up scree slopes, after which you’ll be able to join another path that leads onto Stob Coire nan Lochan. Sir Hugh never managed to complete the ascent of all the summits on his list, and it was left to the Revd A E Robertson to complete the first round of the Munros in 1901. Since then, attempting to ascend all the peaks ('Munro-bagging') has become a popular pursuit among British walkers and mountaineers.

Liathach in Torridon is known to many hillwalkers and climbers as Scotland’s finest mountain. With breathtaking views over the neighbouring Beinn Eighe and Beinn Alligin, as climbs go, the route along Liathach’s ridge is hard to beat. Other famous Munros at our places include Beinn a’Bhuird (1,197m) at Mar Lodge Estate, Bidean nam Bian (1,150m) and Aonach Eagach (967m) at Glencoe, and An Socach (921m) in West Affric. Ben Lawers is a favourite with climbers all over Scotland. The highest mountain in the Southern Highlands teems with wildlife and there are sublime views over Loch Tay from the summit. The relatively easy route to the top even takes you via another Munro, Beinn Ghlas (1,103m), so you get two for the price of one! Sir Hugh had been planning to revise his list of Munros, and after his death the SMC took over the job of keeping the list upto date. The first revised edition was publised in 1921, and several further changes were made - the most recent revision being in 2012. There are currently 282 Munros and 226 Tops.It’s quite a twisty-turny route as it has to bypass quite a few gorges, but the effort involved is more than worth it, and visitors will have umpteen photo opportunities of Strathmore as they forge ahead through the heather-covered lower slopes. Towards the top, it gets steeper and more barren as the plants thin out and the slopes become scree-covered, and it becomes a downright scramble once you get nearer to the summit. This book provides a compendium of maps including coverage of every Munro (hill over 3000'). It will assist the planning of countless days of hillwalking. By its nature it is a picture of the upland topography of Scotland.

The most recent revision of the list found Beinn a'Chlaidheimh in Fisherfield to be under the 3,000ft height, therefore bringing the current total to 282 Munros. At the top you’ll find a cairn and a stone wind shelter where you can soak up the gorgeous views across Sutherland, before returning to the car park on the same route as used for the ascent. Cairn Gorm In the 6th issue of the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal in 1891 he published a list of all of the mountains in Scotland over 3000 feet. This list caused much surprise in mountaineering circles, as until his list was produced many thought that the number of mountains exceeding this height was around 30, rather than the nearly 300 that he listed. These peaks are now known around the world as Munros after Sir Hugh. While the SMC does not use a prominence criterion for classifying a Munro, all but one of the 282 Munros below have a prominence above 30 metres (98 feet), the exception being Maoile Lunndaidh at 11 metres (36 feet); and apart from Am Basteir, all Munros have a prominence above 50 metres (160 feet).

I’ve created an article about hiking boots which you can read if you want more information. OS Maps That’s not a typo by the way, the Scottish Mountaineering Club still uses the spelling from the days of Hugh Munro. Getting to the Trossachs is a short drive from Glasgow and Edinburgh so you can easily bag this Munro on a day trip without having to book overnight accommodation. However, with such stunning scenery on your doorstep, I’d advise spending at least a couple of days in the area to explore the pretty village of Balloch, Queen Elizabeth Forest, Loch Lomond, and of course, Ben Lomond. Climbing Scotland’s Munros is an extremely popular leisure activity and it’s even more popular today than it was when Hugh Munro published his official list. This is in part thanks to the efforts of groups like the John Muir Trust who have created superb footpaths on many of Scotland’s most-walked mountains. What Is Munro Bagging?