Skip to content
Menu
p600.org
  • home
  • map
  • trips
  • about
p600.org

Merrick

hike | 2022-11-19

Merrick is far enough away from the other mountains to be the southernmost peak of Scotland’s P600. It is the highest mountain in the Southern Uplands and southern Scotland, so I had enough arguments for visiting it.

Nice scenery in the morning

Several cars are already parked in the parking lot. We change our shoes, get dressed, and start climbing. The unpaved trail follows a stream and is a little muddy at times, but not too bad. The morning sun shades the surrounding slopes and mountains perfectly.

Bright morning colors
Along the stream
Stream
November sun
Lower peaks
Gradual slopes
I guess Scots like jokes

We cross the forest and climb up to the ridge. I make a small detour and visit the top of Bennan. Near the peak is a communications mast. I head back, heading straight for the summit of Bennyellary, where I meet Arūnas again.

Passing forest slopes
Arūnas and fly agaric (Amanita muscaria)
Along the fence to Bennan 562m
Benyellary 719m
Communications mast at Bennan

A small descent and we climb up again, and soon we find ourselves at the main summit of Merrick with the white-painted triangulation pillar. The clouds blow away, and you can see a little of the surrounding view, but it is short-lived.

View from Bennan
View from Benyellary slope
View from the saddle between Benyellary and Merrick
South west views to the Loch Valley
Short photo session
Later, we will walk around this remote Loch Neldricken
Approaching the Merrick and looking bakc to Benyellary
Trig pillar at the Merrick

The summit is cloudy, with only a few short views

We decide to go back the other way, walk a loop, and descend the eastern slope of Merrick. Sometimes we follow a trail that is hard to see, and sometimes we lose it, but it is still a pleasant walk. We split close to the lake. I agree to meet Arnas in the saddle between Mullwharchar and Dungeon Hill, and I climb a hundred meters to the top of Mullwharchar. Twenty minutes later, we met again.

Loch Valley lakes
Going down SW slope from the Merrick
Mullwharchar 692m in the left and Loch Neldricken at the bottom
Dungeon Hill 843m behind the lake

Arūnas and myself, descending

Mullwharchar high point in the right
Two female deer on the way to Mullwharchar
Approaching Mullwharchar
Cairn at Mullwharchar highpoint

The day is drawing to a close, so Dungeon Hill and Craignaw are skipped. We traverse the slopes and head more or less in a straight line towards where we left the car. Of course, we have to take into account the landscape, the scree, the lakes, and at least one major stream between the lakes. We managed to cross it without getting wet, but if there had been a bit more water, we would have had to wade.

On the way back
The lake isn’t getting any closer
Wet, wet, wet

A few more en route views

Finally, the lake is in sight, but it’s getting dark and there are more than a few miles to the car

Because the sun sets early, we turn on our headlights and keep walking. From Loch Neldricken, there is a trail along a stream; it’s wet and there’s a lot of mud, but it’s still easier to walk on the trail than without it. Our clothes and shoes are completely wet; our trousers are half black, but we had a great day and a cool walk. Back to Carlisle and a leisurely climb up Broad Law tomorrow.


Merrick843 m altitude
705 m prominence
RangesEurope - Northwest Europe - Great Britain
Countries/regionsUnited Kingdom – Scotland
Distance9.60 km up13.00 km down
Elevation819 m gain819 m loss
Time
3h00 up
0h10 other
6h00 down
9h10 total
Trailhead123 m altitude55.0931660, -4.4838330
Difficulties<p>at descent on the SE was hard to follow trail</p>
LinksGPX trail
  • « Barr Beacon
  • Broad Law »

Mountain Ranges

Anatolia
Central Anatolia
Pontic Mountains
Southeast Anatolia
Taurus Mountains
Western Anatolia
Andes
Puna de Atacama
Atlas Mountains
High Atlas
Northwestern Atlas
Central America Ranges
Costa Rica-Panama Ranges
Central Central America
East China
Taiwan
Eastern Europe Ranges
Southeast Baltic Plains
Iberian Peninsula
Cordillera Cantabrica
Castile Ranges
Portugal-Galicia
Pyrenees
Intermountain West
Great Basin Ranges
Korea-Amur Area
Taebaek Sanmae
Malay Archipelago
Java
Nusa Tengarra
Sulawesi
Sumatra
Mid-Atlantic Islands
North Atlantic Islands
Mongolia Ranges
Altai
Gobi Desert Ranges
Hangay Mountains
Northwest Europe
Great Britain
North France-West Rhine Area
Pacific Ranges
Cascade Range
Northwest U.S. Coast Ranges
Sierra Nevada
Central and Southern California Ranges
Philippines
Central Philippines
Luzon
Mindanao
Southeast Asia
Malay Peninsula
Southeast South America
Pampas
Sierras de Cordoba
Southern Africa
Malawi Highlands
West Africa Mountains
Bight of Benin
Cameroon Mountains
Guinea Highlands

Countries / regions

Algeria
Ain Guezzam
Ain Salah
Aïn Témouchent
El Bayadh
Ghardaïa
Oran
Ouargla
Saïda
Sidi Bel Abbès
Tamanrasset
Argentina
Catamarca
Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
Córdoba
Jujuy
Salta
Tucumán
Belgium
Brussels Capital Region
Flemish Region
Cameroon
Southwest
China
Taiwan
Costa Rica
Alajuela
Cartago
Guanacaste
Heredia
Limón
San José
Czechia
Prague
Denmark
Greenland
France
Hauts-de-France
Occitania
Germany
Berlin
Niedersachsen
Indonesia
Bali
Jambi
Jawa Tengah
Jawa Timur
Nusa Tenggara Barat
Sulawesi Tengah
Sulawesi Utara
Sumatera Barat
Lithuania
Vilnius County
Mongolia
Bayankhongor
Govi-Altai
Khovd
Omnogovi
Ovorkhangai
Ulan Bator
Zavkhan
Morocco
Béni Mellal-Khénifra
Drâa-Tafilalet
Fez-Meknes
Marrakesh-Safi
Souss-Massa
Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima
Mozambique
Zambezia
Netherlands
Gelderland
Noord-Holland
Zeeland
Nicaragua
Chinandega
Managua
Masaya
Rivas
Philippines
Bicol Region (V)
Cagayan Valley (II)
Calabarzon (IV-A)
Central Luzon (III)
Cordillera Administrative Region
Davao Region
Metro Manila
Soccsksargen (XII)
Western Visayas (VI)
Poland
Greater Poland Voivodeship
Masovian Voivodeship
Portugal
Castelo Branco
Leiria
Lisbon
Madeira
Santarém
Qatar
Ad-Dawhah
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé Province
Sierra Leone
Northern Province
Western Area
Singapore
South Korea
Gyeongsangnam-do
Seoul
Spain
Aragón
Asturias
Castilla-La Mancha
Castilla y León
Catalonia
Islas Canarias
Switzerland
Zürich
Turkey
Antalya
Bitlis
Erzincan
Hakkâri
Igdir
Isparta
Kahraman Maras
Muğla
United Kingdom
England
Scotland
United States
California
Delaware
Florida
Maryland
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Utah

TRIPS

2024
Southern Africa 2024
Mid-Atlantic Islands 2024
North America 2024
Anatolia 2024
Korea-Amur Area 2024
East China 2024
2023
Mongolia Ranges 2023
Philippines 2023
West Africa III 2023
West Africa II 2023
Iberian Peninsula 2023
West Africa 2023
Central America 2023
2022
Andes 2022
Northwest Europe 2022
Malay Archipelago III 2022
Malay Archipelago II 2022
Anatolia Mountains 2022
Iberian Peninsula 2022
Atlas Mountains 2022
North France-West Rhine Area 2022

archaeology (3) climb (157) food (2) hike (155) p30 (17) p50 (4) p100 (24) p300 (12) p600 (17) p1000 (11) p1500 (76) ribu (10) sight (46) summary (16) trig (44) ultra (76)

1 591 km walked, 121 298 m climbed

©2025 p600.org | WordPress Theme by Superbthemes.com