Parking
Roadside parking area on the approach to the railway level crossing near Dalnaspidal Lodge. Keep clear of the crossing and passing traffic; capacity and facilities are not confirmed.
Overview
About Meall na Leitreach from Dalnaspidal
Why go
- Broad summit and open views through Drumochter Pass
- Most of the ascent follows an established track
Heads up
- Rough ATV track can be wet and muddy
- The summit cairn sits off a faint final path
Meall na Leitreach from Dalnaspidal is a 5.1-mile (8.1 km) out-and-back to the summit cairn, with about 407 m (1,335 ft) of ascent. Allow around three hours. Most of the climb follows tracks, but the ATV section is rough and can be wet or muddy; the last 150 m leaves the track for a faint path across short heather. It suits you if you want an open, track-based hillwalk with a clear summit goal. The top is broad and rounded rather than a dramatic pinnacle.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this a good hill for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cairngorms map
Full mapElevation414–775 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Cairngorms alerts
- CautionStorm Boelo high windsStorm Boelo will bring extremely windy weather to the Cairngorms; take extra care and limit time outdoors. - The Park Authority expects the very windy weather to last until Monday 26 October.Official details
- ClosureGlenmore wildfire closures and dangerous treesWildfire damage has closed Allt Mor car park and the path to Sugarbowl/Utsi’s Bridge; keep out of the closed area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cairngorms Tour Guide
Your drive to Meall na Leitreach from Dalnaspidal, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cairngorms National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Cairngorms audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Dalnaspidal and Meall na Leitreach0:00 / 0:27
“Dalnaspidal is ahead, the starting point for Meall na Leitreach. Choose this for a broad summit view along Drumochter Pass, with rolling moorland rather than a dramatic rocky peak.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cairngorms Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Frost’s Stone Patterns
- Why the Routes Share Drumochter
- Balsporran’s Two-Munro Circuit
- Dalnacardoch and Gaick Pass
- 298 audio storiesacross Cairngorms’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Reindeer, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 260 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Meall na Leitreach from Dalnaspidal
From Dalnaspidal to the high trackStart at the roadside parking area before the railway crossing near Dalnaspidal Lodge.
Start at the roadside parking area before the railway crossing near Dalnaspidal Lodge. Cross at the pedestrian gate and drop toward the lodge, then follow the signed public footpath through a field and across Allt Dubhaig. The path follows the grassy edge of a concrete water channel to a sluice crossing. Beyond the gate and wide bridge, take the dog-leg at the junction onto the rough ATV track. It climbs steeply beside Allt nam Pliadean, staying on its east side, then eases as you reach the open plateau.
The last climb and the viewThe track curves past a small cairn, dips, then climbs again.
The track curves past a small cairn, dips, then climbs again. It stops about 150 m short of the summit, so leave it for the faint path over short-cropped heather to the summit cairn. From the broad top, look north through Drumochter Pass: the A9, railway and power lines are part of the view. You get rolling moorland and hills, but Loch Garry is out of sight from the summit.
Return and accessRetrace the same route.
Retrace the same route. A separate, longer circular outing descends east through Coire Leathanaidh toward the River Garry; it is about 13 km (8 miles) and uses fainter lines, so it is not part of the distance above. The 5.1-mile figure includes the short walk from the mapped track to the summit cairn; the shorter 4.75-mile route figure turns back at the track. The start has a parking area, but I could not verify its capacity or facilities. I also could not confirm a dog rule, so check current access guidance before bringing one.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Cairngorms
159 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
63 sightingsReindeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
102 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
37 sightingsBlack GrouseMost seen around 4 AMSighting map
72 sightingsRed GrouseMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
82 sightingsPine MartenMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cairngorms. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
