Beinn a' Chuallaich

Beinn a’ Chuallaich
Seen across Dunalastair Water from Schiehallion, 7 km to the SE.
Highest point
Elevation	892 m (2,927 ft)
Prominence	527 m (1,729 ft)
Listing	Corbett, Marilyn
Naming
Translation	Hill of the Herding (Gaelic)
Pronunciation	Scottish Gaelic: [pjeɲ ə ˈxuəl̪ˠəç]
Geography
Location	Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Parent range	Grampians
OS grid	NN684617
Topo map	OS Landranger 42, OS Explorer 386

Beinn a’ Chuallaich is a Scottish hill, four kilometres northeast of the village of Kinloch Rannoch in the Perth and Kinross council area. It is part of the high ground between Strath Tummel and Glen Errochty.

Beinn a’ Chuallaich is a sizeable and extensive hill which can seem quite inconspicuous when viewed from certain places, especially from the south. This is mainly because of the close proximity of the more eye catching and higher Schiehallion which lies seven km to the SE across Dunalastair Water and dominates Strath Tummel. However Beinn a' Chuallaich is well seen from the head of Glen Errochty where it shows its long NE ridge and its craggy eastern corrie. The hill reaches a height of 892 metres (2926 feet) and qualifies as a Corbett and a Marilyn.

The hill’s name translates from the Scottish Gaelic language as “Hill of the Herding” and this refers to the fact that it lies on the route of one of the main north-south ancient drovers' roads of Scotland, the area around the mountain was used as a gathering point for the cattle. The western corrie of the hill could well have been the collecting point as it is a huge gentle bowl which is ideal for summer grazing and the concealing of cattle. James Stobie’s map of 1770 refers to the hill as Ben Chualach, Charles Knight’s Penny Cyclopaedia of the 1840s also uses this name and the hill seems to have been designated as Beinn a’ Chuallaich by Victorian cartographers in the second half of the 19th century.

Beinn a’ Chuallaich’s large bulk dominates the village of Kinloch Rannoch and contains several long ridges and two significant corries. The longest of the ridges goes north and then NE taking in the subsidiary top of Meall nan Eun (852 metres) before broadening and descending NE to the shores of Loch Errochty. The top of Meall nan Eun is marked by a ring of stones and gives a fine view of Loch Errochty which is not visible from the main summit. Loch na Caillich stands on this NE ridge at a height of around 700 metres and is a well known gathering point for deer with Charles Plumb describing it as a place “where the deer love to wallow”. Coire Odhar on the eastern side of the hill is ringed by cliffs which fall from the summit, the corrie itself contains some very large detached boulders. The western corrie, known as Coire Labhrainn is drained by the Allt Mòr which is a fine sight after heavy rain as it roars through the woodland above Kinloch Rannoch and through the village to join the River Tummel. All drainage from the mountain joins the River Tay eventually either going by Glen Errochty or Strath Tummel. Some of the streams on the eastern side of the hill have been diverted into the Errochty catchwater as part of the Tummel hydro-electric power scheme.