The 10 Best Munros in Scotland

Every bagger ends up with a private ranking, and no two match. But run the pub conversation often enough and the same hills keep surfacing — mountains with architecture, setting or a day out that stays with you years later. Here are the ten that make nearly everyone's list, in no particular order beyond the first two, which are usually the argument for first place.

1. An Teallach (1,062m, Dundonnell)

Two Munros on a saw-toothed sandstone crest above Little Loch Broom. The full traverse over the Corrag Bhuidhe pinnacles is a serious Grade 2–3 scramble, but a path below the crest lets walkers taste the architecture without the exposure. Read our full An Teallach guide, and check live conditions on Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill before you commit.

2. Liathach (1,055m, Torridon)

The Grey One rises in tiers of ancient sandstone straight from the Glen Torridon road — from below it looks unclimbable, which is half the appeal. The traverse of Spidean a' Choire Lèith and Mullach an Rathain over the Am Fasarinen pinnacles is one of mainland Scotland's great ridge days.

3. Ben Nevis by the CMD Arête (1,345m, Fort William)

The tourist track gets the crowds; the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête gets the mountain. A graceful granite crescent linking Càrn Mòr Dearg to the summit of the Ben, with the North Face cliffs for company the whole way. Two Munros, and the only way the highest ground in Britain feels like it.

4. Buachaille Etive Mòr (1,022m, Glen Coe)

The most photographed mountain in Scotland earns it. Stob Dearg's pyramid guards the entrance to Glen Coe; the walkers' route up Coire na Tulaich unlocks a high ridge to a second Munro. Our Buachaille guide covers the sensible way up.

5. Ladhar Bheinn (1,020m, Knoydart)

The finest mountain on the roughest peninsula. You arrive by boat to Inverie or on foot over the passes from Kinloch Hourn, and Ladhar Bheinn's corrie-bitten crest above Loch Hourn repays every step of the approach. See our Knoydart logistics guide.

6. Blà Bheinn (928m, Isle of Skye)

A free-standing Cuillin outlier with the single best viewpoint of the main ridge. Blà Bheinn's standard route from Loch Slapin is a rough walk rather than a climb — the one Skye Munro most hillwalkers can enjoy without a rope or a guide.

7. Sgùrr nan Gillean (964m, Isle of Skye)

The shapeliest peak on the Cuillin ridge. The "Tourist Route" is a misnomer — the final ridge is proper scrambling with real exposure — but no list is honest without it. Details in our Sgùrr nan Gillean guide.

8. Lochnagar (1,155m, Cairngorms)

Royal Deeside's cliff-ringed corrie is the east's answer to Glen Coe. A clear path from Spittal of Glenmuick, a dramatic rim walk, and Byron for the guidebook. How to climb Lochnagar.

9. Braeriach (1,296m, Cairngorms)

Britain's third-highest summit and its wildest plateau. Braeriach is about scale — the Lairig Ghru below, the An Garbh Choire cliffs holding snow into summer, and a sense of arctic remoteness no other range in Britain offers. Pair it with Cairn Toul on the big round.

10. Ben Lomond (974m, Loch Lomond)

The people's Munro. An hour from Glasgow, a made path, and a summit stance over island-studded Loch Lomond that outclasses hills twice as remote. Most baggers start here — here's how — and plenty finish here too.

Before you go

Half of these are serious undertakings: check the live Munro conditions other walkers have reported, read the route pages, and be honest about scrambling exposure. The Munros app carries routes, summit forecasts and difficulty grades for all ten.

Related reading

• Best Munro ridge walks — more airy crests
• The hardest Munros — where these rank
• Best Munros for beginners — the gentler list

Frequently asked questions

What are the 10 best Munros to hike in Scotland?

A widely agreed shortlist: An Teallach, Liathach, Ben Nevis via the CMD Arête, Buachaille Etive Mòr, Ladhar Bheinn, Blà Bheinn, Sgùrr nan Gillean, Lochnagar, Braeriach and Ben Lomond. Between them they cover every kind of Scottish mountain day, from easy paths to scrambling.

What is the most beautiful Munro?

An Teallach and Liathach are the two most common answers among experienced baggers — sculpted sandstone ridges above sea-level glens. Ladhar Bheinn in Knoydart wins for wild coastal setting.

Which of the best Munros can a beginner climb?

Ben Lomond and Lochnagar are the accessible pair on this list: clear paths, honest effort, no scrambling in summer conditions. The Torridon and Skye entries are for walkers with a steady head for exposure.