I’m going to be supporting someone to do some hill walking with some limiting factors and trying to come up with a list of possible hills. I would welcome ideas on this from you good people.

The first thing is that we are looking for relatively easy descents – not too steep or technically challenging. Walking poles will be in use but it’s very slow progress and time will be end up being a factor. Everything is fine going uphill. Beinn Ghlas was done with a colleague a few months back and it went well apart from the descent being extremely slow – a bit of awkwardness coordinating footwork. Some of that is unavoidable but short sections of it would work.

One that I can think of is Cairngorm by the northern corries (though not until the spring when snow is gone and daylight is long). That has a relatively gentle gradient from the summit and the possibility of using Coire Cas service track back to car park. It also has the benefit of being high up for a good long while – this is very good.

And the other thing is that we will be travelling from Edinburgh using public transport (I’m looking into viability of car hire). I do this all the time myself for trips to the Highlands but always with a bike and ride to the hills. I’m struggling to think of hills suitable. Ben Vrackie is a possibility though it’s upper steepness might be a problem.

So hit me with your hill suggestions if you have any.

Ben Chonzie above Turret was fairly rounded from memory…
Some of the north Lawers ridge – Meall nan Subh and Beinn Heasgarnich Glen Lochay and Meall nam Maigheach from Lochan nan Lairige. The issue will be transport – you would need to time with Ring of Breadalbane Explorer bus.
Dalnaspidall has some stalkers tracks heading up Meall na Leitreach, Beinn Mholach etc that are not too steep from memory again.
Edge of Rannoch, from Loch Rannoch or Loch Tulla are also fairly rounded, but a faff on transport and some woodland bashing to get there.

Meall Leathan Dhaill from above Callander is ace wee hill, all accessed from a track and you can extend onto Uamh Bheag above the windfarm.

Bheinn Dearg to west of Callander, from forest, is also track all the way and ace view.

Aonach Mor

Some of the Monoliths from Newtonmore / Kingussie, by memory (again) are relatively easy I think. Maybe a bit featureless to hold attention though. You might extend it to end up down at Laggan. Can’t think of any others off top of my head.

Without a car, can’t help. With a car you might want to consider
Mount Keen, long’ish approach but not too difficult on either ascent or descent (bikable in fact).
Mayar and/or Dreish above Glen Doll. there is a bit of a scramble coming out of Corrie Fee, not difficult but may be limiting, descent would be from the bealach between Mayar and Dreish but the path is eroded, sitting seveal feet below the ground line so can catch rockslides making walking it a bit of a pain. From the Glen Prosen side is much easier with a shorter and more pleasant approach. Glen Prosen makes Dreish the target which has far better views than Mayar.
Cairn An Tuirc from the furthest north car park in Glen Shee. Approach is fine, hill looks a bit more intimidating than it is, swerve north once you start to climb, go round north of the summit to the bealach that runs east/west and approach the summit from that side. From the summit, follow the bealach east and turn right when you can to take in Carn of Claise with a possible descent along the ridge that stops just above (south of) the car park. You can decide before leaving whether that’s a suitable descent as the hardest part is the last part.

Ben Cleuch in the Ochils?

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fife-stirling/ben-cleuch.shtml

You said ‘hill’ and easy-ish.

What about a train to Galashiels and then walk the SUW (pretty much from the station) to The 3 Brethern, then onwards down to Selkirk.

X95 back to Galashiels and train home.

Or bus to Innerleithen, and then climb the SUW and follow to Galashiels where you can get on the same bus back, or train etc.

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/borders/

Good suggestions so far, thanks folks. I’ll get stuck in to the maps later today and have check them out. I’ve done quite a few of them myself but memory is poor.
Matt – Callander is a good option. I mined a lot of possibilities there earlier this year with someone who has different capabilities but you’ve given me a few more. I did intend to ride out and check Beinn Gullipen out last Sunday but was feeling a bit under the weather so didn’t bother. Is Beinn Dearg accessible from that track up from Callander. Couldn’t see anything on the map so presumed the usual bog. I’ll maybe have a look next weekend and try to combine a ride up Meall Leathan Dhaill.

Assuming you can do the car hire thing then why look past the Lammermuirs and Moorfoots? Lots of access tracks for grouse management, nothing steep.

If it has to be a Munro then Beinn na Lap from station

Oh, and Ben Rinnes with the assistance of someone a bit more local to transport you to/from Aviemore 😉

What about the Pentlands? Easy hills with good public transport links.

There’s not quite the Highland mountain drama quotient in the Lammermuirs. Pentlands will probably the easy alternative is conditions aren’t good for heading north. I walk with a few service users up there fairly regularly.

Beinn na Lap is a good one but it does bring into question what can be budgeted for in terms of travel costs.

Thinking of possible train stops heading north, I’d suggest considering Dalwhinnie and Blair Atholl – though long walks in and out you can access some high tops via gentleish slopes (though often rough ground). Better perhaps are Newtonmore or Kingussie for nearby Monadliath hills. Estate tracks give fairly easy access to some of these. Getting a bus to Dalnaspidal (or train/bus or train/taxi to the laybys on the A9) gives direct access to the hills thereabouts, plentiful estate tracks and planned well give gentle descents. Not particularly glamorous but there are a few potential routes I can think of here.

From the west coast line, Corrour-Tulloch crossing various tops could perhaps be an option. I caveat this as I’ve only been round here on ski/ in winter conditions. Long broad ridges can be used in ascent/descent so if the ground underneath is suitable that would be a great route (get advice from someone who actually knows summer terrain though). Other tops from Corrour might work too, as might those from Rannoch Station? Some might be longer days than you’re after though.

Close to home buses out into the Lammermuirs, moorfoots, or Borders railway to Stow or Gala (I assume you’ve exhausted Pentlands options). Or buses to Peebles/ Moffat? Unless you’re only after highlands stuff.

Much further away then there are some relatively gentle slopes up hills from Achnasheen (Fionn Bheinn for example) but not exactly accessible from Central Belt – nor others others on the lines out of Inverness.

+1 for Ben Cleuch

Train to Stirling bus to Alva up and over the top – it’s not a sharp climb and if you do the descent into Tilli the path is a switchback affair. Pint at the Woolpack, bus back to Stirling.

Added bonus is you will get a great view of all the Forth bridges and all the way to Arthur’s Seat. 😀

See – now you’re just moving the goalposts!!

Just thinking out loud here, but Beinn Narnain?

Easy access from Arrochar train station although probably 3-4km of pavement from train station to foot of hill.

Starts at sea level but climbs on zig-zagging easy-ish gradient good path until forest road, then steeper and slightly rougher forest track until up into Ben Arthur/Beinn Narnain corry. Pretty good path from there and if steep or tricky climbs aren’t a factor then the front face is pretty good (from memory, we did it in winter conditions and had good fun following little gullies and icy tunnels through rocks).

Descent is pretty easy I think except a small rock band near the top.

Glas Maol from Glenshee car park, straight up by main walkers’ path but then back via Craig Leacach ridge (summit if time allows) and then traverse on the return north to Meal Odhar- there’s a traverse descending path across the steep face from just north of the saddle between the two munros that avoids having to descend steeply. Cairnwell, Carn Aosda & Carn a Gheoidh can all be achieved without steep return walks. Glas Tulaichean has a landy track to the summit but you might want a bike for the approach from Spittal side.
Does it have to be munros? There are some classy alternatives around at lower heights, like Cat Law behind Kirriemuir and Ben Tirran in Clova or Mount Blair between Isla & Shee.
Carn a Chlamain on the NW side of Tilt is also fine, once the 8km bike ride approach from Blair Atholl is out of the way.

Just thinking out loud here, but Beinn Narnain?

Ben Ime would be easier.