TACit Tables

Graham Tops and Grahamists

Alan Dawson, Clem Clements, James Gordon

TACit Tables Complete, up-to-date lists of hills

To obtain a copy of the Graham Tops and Grahamists booklet, please contact the author via email to rhb@rhb.org.uk.

-- Graham Tops and Grahamists --

Completing the TACit Tables listing of British Isles summits above 610m (2000ft) and with at least 30m drop on all sides, this eagerly awaited booklet features the 999 summits in the 761m (2499ft) to 610m Graham Top category. The list is subdivided into 224 Grahams such as Ben Stack, 206 Graham Tops of Grahams (eg the trig point on top of Ben Venue), 375 Graham Tops of Corbetts (eg Mainnir nam Fiadh on Mull), 193 Graham Tops of Munros (eg Gearr Aonach in Glen Coe) and just the one - Windy Gyle - Graham Top of a Hewitt. The summits range from the fairly familiar - A'Chir, Hallival, Parlan Hill, Beinn Edra - to the utterly unfrequented. So if you fancy a stroll over Carabad or Crungie Clach, Bodnasparet or Big Garvoun, Manywee or Gob a'Chairn, then this is the booklet for you. And if you've ever woken up worrying about the whereabouts of The Ca or Sgurr a'Gharg Gharaidh Far North Top, then turn to this list and fret no more.

Complementing the main hill data compiled by Alan Dawson, Clem Clements and James Gordon are details of near-miss summits that don't quite make it (but which might come the next remapping), a list of known Grahamists, and some historical background.

TACit Tables: Graham Tops and Grahamists

First published February 2004 by TACit Press
3 Ferry Orchard, Cambuskenneth, Stirling FK9 5ND

email: Dave.Hewitt@dial.pipex.com or alan@staclee.freeserve.co.uk

ISBN 0 9534376 2 0

Table information copyright © Alan Dawson 2004
Docharty/Graham research pp38-40 copyright © Dave Hewitt 2004
Illustrations copyright © Chris Tyler 2004

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be republished or redistributed in any other format without permission.

Cover illustration: Beinn Bheag, a 737m GTM in Section 6B.
Back cover illustration: Slioch and Meall Daimh, a GTM in Section 14A.

Proof-reading: Tessa Carroll
Series Editor: Dave Hewitt

Printed by: Clydeside Press, 37 High Street, Glasgow Cross, Glasgow G1 ILX

Acknowledgements

Particular thanks are due to David Purchase for numerous helpful comments on a draft version of this booklet. Thanks are also due to Hugh Barron of the British Geological Survey for consulting OS 1:10000 digital data, and to Jean Dalton at the Ordnance Survey for taking the trouble to try to find answers to some awkward questions.

The series editor would like to thank Ian Angell for his continuing good stewardship of the Scottish Mountaineering Club library in Glasgow, where various pieces of research, particularly relating to the work of William McKnight Docharty, have been pursued. The Glasgow University map library has been much used, as has the manuscript section of the National Library of Scotland in respect of general research in the SMC archive (lodged there and maintained by Robin N Campbell) and in regard to Docharty's hill diaries.

Thanks also to the various Grahamists (see page 40) who took the trouble to rummage through hill logs and supply their first and last hill details. Also to Jill Dodgson and Harry Griffin for information on the late Colin Dodgson, and to Anne Littlejohn for helping to clarify her own completion status. And thanks, once again, to Tommy Kayes and all at Clydeside Press. Apologies to anyone else who provided help, information or encouragement but who is omitted here.

"I should like to record once more the pleasure and satisfaction these maps provided in the winter evenings, as they welcomed me in spirit to the freedom of the ridges which they delineate so faithfully. Then, no less than when they piloted me over the ground on excursion, did they prove themselves to be among the closest and friendliest of companions."
William McKnight Docharty, The Supplement to A Selection of Some 900 British and Irish Mountain Tops and a Selection of 1,000 Tops under 2,500 feet, December 1962


Graham Tops and Grahamists

About TACit Tables

TACit Tables aim to provide walkers with definitive, highly accurate, easily affordable, up-to-date lists of British and Irish hills. An important feature of this series of booklets is that the height of each hill is given in both absolute and relative terms: as well as the height above sea level, the lists show the drop from each hill, ie the amount the hill rises above the surrounding land.

The tables provide precise measurements of the location and significance of the summits, but convey nothing about distance, topography, terrain or other characteristics of the hills. Maps provide much of this detail, and the tables are intended to be used alongside a map. No attempt is made to suggest routes or starting points for walks.

Details of all current titles in the TACit Tables series are given on the inside back cover.

About the Grahams

A Graham is a Scottish hill from 610 metres to 761 metres high inclusive (2000-2499 feet), with a drop of at least 150 metres all round (492 feet). The list of hills with this definition was first published in April 1992 in The Relative Hills of Britain1, which lists all the British Marilyns, ie hills of any height with a drop of at least 150 metres all round. Originally, Scottish hills in this height range were referred to as Lesser Corbetts (abbreviated to LCs or Elsies). This subset of the Marilyns was renamed Grahams in memory of the late Fiona Torbet (née Graham) who published her own list of Scottish hills between 2000 and 2500 feet in The Great Outdoors magazine in November 1992. Torbet's list had no precise definition; 54 of its 244 hills had a drop of less than 150 metres, and 16 had less than 100 metres drop. Interesting though this list is, there were also numerous inaccuracies, and 34 current Grahams were omitted altogether. Torbet had been unaware of the existing list but soon realised it was more accurate and complete than her own. She therefore agreed to accept the relevant Scottish Marilyns as the definitive list of such hills, provided the name Grahams was used for them and some minor changes were made.

The 224 current Grahams therefore comprise the 222 such hills listed in The Relative Hills of Britain plus Beinn Talaidh2 and Ladylea Hill3. The majority of Grahams (199) are on the Scottish mainland, with the remaining 25 distributed among seven islands; ten on Skye, seven on Mull, three on Harris, two on Jura, and one each on Arran, Rum and South Uist.

About the Graham Tops

A Graham Top is a Scottish hill between 610 metres and 761 metres high inclusive (2000-2499 feet) with a drop of at least 30 metres all round (98.4 feet). The Graham Tops therefore include all the Grahams, just as the Munro Tops include all the Munros, and Corbett Tops include all the Corbetts. However, the term 'Munro Tops' is usually taken to mean 'Munro Tops that are not Munros', and similar usage will probably come to be applied to the Graham Tops.

Now that the list of Corbett Tops4 has been published, the Graham Tops complete the set of Scottish hills over 2000 feet, and indeed the set of all hills in the British Isles over 2000 feet with 30m drop. The total of 2638 such hills comprises 2111 in Scotland, 177 in England, 136 in Wales, one on the border of England and Wales, 19 in Northern Ireland, 193 in the Republic of Ireland, and one in the Isle of Man.

Although this publication provides the first list of Graham Tops to be readily available, it is not the first list of 2000-foot Scottish hills to go beyond the Grahams:

The list of Tops published in this TACit Table was compiled independently, without reference to any previous work. Much of the initial research was carried out by James Gordon and Clem Clements, who provided lists of summits based on Ordnance Survey 1:50000 and 1:25000 maps. All these summits were then checked against 1:10000 maps (where available), which provided additional and more precise figures for heights and cols in numerous cases. The extra detail shown at this scale also enabled several further tops to be located, which were not apparent from study of smaller-scale maps.

About the List

The total of 998 Graham Tops comprises five classes of hill between 2000 and 2499 feet high:

Class Total Drop Description
G224 <150m Grahams
GTM19330-150m Graham Tops of Munros, ie Tops connected to a Munro
GTC37430-150m Graham Tops of Corbetts, ie Tops connected to a Corbett
GTG20630-150m Graham Tops of Grahams, ie Tops connected to a Graham
GTH130-150m Graham Tops of Hewitts, ie Tops connected to a Hewitt (in England)

The different classes are indicated in the tables by the code G, GTM, GTC or GTG in the first column of each entry. Those Tops located between two higher hills are judged to be connected to whichever hill has a higher intervening col, regardless of distance or appearance.

The layout of the tables also highlights the broader distinction between Grahams and Tops, as the names of Tops are indented beneath the name of the relevant Graham, Corbett or Munro. Full details are given of all Grahams, but for Munros and Corbetts only the name is listed (in italics).

Within each section, GTMs are shown first, then GTCs, then Grahams and GTGs. Tops belonging to the same hill are listed in order of relative height (drop), so that more prominent summits are shown first. Information is laid out in the following columns:

Class

This is either G, GTM, GTC or GTG as defined above, making it easy to identify at a glance the four different categories of Graham Top.

Section

Hills are grouped into the geographical regions shown below, with each region subdivided into sections. Region and section numbers are the same as in Corbett Tops and Corbetteers and originally derive from The Relative Hills of Britain.

Regions of Scotland

Metres

This column gives the height of the hill above sea level in metres. This is usually taken from the largest-scale metric map of the area published by the Ordnance Survey, which may be at 1:10000 or 1:25000. Spot heights on 1:50000 maps are not generally as accurate as those on larger-scale maps, though some heights are updated as new editions are published. Where differing heights for the same point are given on different maps, the following order of precedence is generally used: 1:10000; 1:25000; 1:50000. The letter c before the height figure means it is taken from a contour ring, as no spot height is given on any map.

Name

Where possible, names are taken from the relevant 1:50000 map. If a hill is not named on this then the name is taken from a larger-scale map. Where no name is given on any map, an appropriate descriptive name is assigned. Such names take one of two forms, based on either the position or the height of the summit, eg Creag Each West Top, or Creag Ruadh point 619m. Care has been taken to ensure that such names do not coincide or conflict with assigned names of Corbett or Munro Tops.

MapLR

This column gives the number(s) of the Ordnance Survey 1:50000 Landranger map(s) on which the summit of the hill is located.

MapE

This column gives the number(s) of the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Explorer map(s) on which the summit of the hill is located.

Grid Reference

The grid reference pinpoints the location of the summit of the hill to within 100 metres. All grid references have been checked for accuracy on 1:10000 maps, or on 1:25000 maps where no 1:10000 map is available.

Drop

This column refers to the relative height of the hill. It shows the height difference in metres between the summit and the col connecting the hill to the next higher summit. For example, the drop from Ben Venue is given as 545, which means that anyone on the top of Ben Venue would have to descend for a minimum of 545 metres before being able to reach a higher summit.

The drop figures offer an indication of how much descent and reascent is likely to be involved in climbing two or more hills together, but the figures always refer to the minimum possible descent - if the terrain is uneven or there are intervening minor summits then the actual descent on the ground will be greater. A map or knowledge of the route is required for this level of detail. The letter c before the drop figure means there is no spot height for the connecting col shown on any metric map, so the drop is estimated from the position of contour lines. It is likely to be accurate to within two or three metres.

Date

This column is left blank for entering the date of ascent - a better aid to memory than a simple tick.


Grahams and Graham Tops

Hills in Scotland between 2000 and 2499 feet high with a drop of at least 30 metres on all sides

Region 1 Firth of Clyde to Strath Tay

Class Sect Met Name MapLR MapE Grid Ref Drop
      Ben Chonzie:        
GTM1A755 Biorach a'Mheannain51,52379 NN78331852
      Creagan na Beinne:        
GTC1A665 Meall a'Choire Chreagach51,52379 NN792418 c 127
GTC1A697 Creag an Sgliata51,52378,379 NN769399103
GTC1A716 Beinn Bhreac51,52378 NN733402 c 100
GTC1A631 Tir Eilde 552379 NN830420100
GTC1A737 Garrow Hill52379 NN81237843
      Creag Uchdag:        
GTC1A682 Tullich Hill51,52378 NN70436656
      Auchnafree Hill:        
GTC1A619 The Scurran52368,379 NN885305 c 114
GTC1A c 730 A'Chairidh51,52379 NN794314 c 72
GTC1A648 Meall Tarsuinn52,58368,379 NN87729765
GTC1A698 Meall Dubh52368,379 NN86430559
G1A759 Shee of Ardtalnaig 651,52378 NN729351 c 224
G1A730 Beinn na Gainimh52379 NN837344288
GTG1A704 Meall Mor52379 NN84934889
GTG1A667 Meall Reamhar52379 NN87632659
GTG1A683 Creag Grianain52379 NN84235146
G1A719 Meall Buidhe 751365 NN576275 c 273
GTG1A620 Cul na Creige51365,368 NN620298 c 74
GTG1A663 Meall na Cloiche51365 NN59027761
GTG1A612 Am Bacan51365 NN60729460
GTG1A709 Beinn Leabhainn51365 NN57628341
G1A712 Creag Ruadh51368 NN674292 c 196
GTG1A682 Ruadh Mheall51378 NN676314 c 115
GTG1A619 Creag Odhar51368 NN69327262
GTG1A693 Meall Daimh51368,378 NN664306 c 58
GTG1A619 Creag Ruadh point 619m51,52368 NN709272 c 44
GTG1A612 Meall nam Fiadh51368 NN696274 c 34
G1A690 Meall Dearg52379 NN886414 c 173
GTG1A663 Creag an Loch52379 NN87840762
GTG1A619 Creag Choille52379 NN85540954
GTG1A623 Meall Odhar52379 NN85542538
GTG1A637 Meall Dearg point 637m52379 NN86842034
G1A672 Creag Each 851368 NN652263 c 216
GTG1A659 Creag Each West Top51368 NN647264 c 34
G1A637 Creag Gharbh51378 NN632327 c 151
GTG1A628 Meall Odhar51378 NN639322 c 54
G1A623 Meall nan Caorach 952379 NN928338321
GTG1A611 Creag Ghorm52379 NN92534630
G1A620 Meall Reamhar 952379 NN922332156
      Ben Vorlich:        
GTM1B c 740 Ben Our 1051,57365,368 NN616208 c 89
GTM1B725 Creagan nan Gabhar51,57365,368 NN61520040
      Stuc a'Chroin:        
GTM1B646 Meall Odhar57368 NN64514973
GTM1B735 Stuc a'Chroin West Top57365 NN60416969
GTM1B755 Leacann Amarach57365,368 NN615164 c 30
      Beinn Each:        
GTC1B694 Beinn Each point 694m57365,368 NN61714635
      Meall na Fearna:        
GTC1B662 Meall Reamhar51,57368 NN663210 c 109
GTC1B681 Meall nan Saighdearan51,57368 NN67221272
GTC1B661 Beinn Fuath51,57368 NN69121872
GTC1B739 Beinn Dhomhnuill57365,368 NN64419868
GTC1B742 Stob Chalum Mhic Griogair57368 NN65918964
GTC1B692 Black Craig51,57368 NN651210 c 54
GTC1B636 Stuc Gharbh57368 NN66817344
GTC1B642 Leacan Dubha51,57368 NN68121541
GTC1B717 Meall na Fearna West Top57365,368 NN643191 c 39
GTC1B685 Creagan an Lochain51,57368 NN646207 c 39
GTC1B701 Meall na Fearna point 701m57368 NN66218434
G1B706 Beinn Dearg 1157368 NN696197351
GTG1B705 Stuc na Cabaig57368 NN685190 c 71
GTG1B618 Sron na Maoile 1257368 NN69017536
G1B645 Sgiath a'Chaise57365 NN583169304
G1B640 Mor Bheinn 1351,52,57368 NN716211327
GTG1B621 Ben Halton51,52,57368 NN720203 c 96
      Beinn Chabhair:        
GTM1C666 Parlan Hill50,56364 NN353170125
GTM1C715 Stob Creag an Fhithich 1450,56364 NN349190 c 100
GTM1C654 Ben Glas50,56364 NN344190 c 46
GTM1C719 Meall nan Tarmachan50,56364 NN35718540
GTM1C c 690 Meall nan Tarmachan West Top50,56364 NN354184 c 32
      Ben Ledi:        
GTC1C638 Stuc Odhar57365 NN551087121
GTC1C722 Bioran na Circe57365 NN558117 c 71
GTC1C715 Ardnandave Hill57365 NN56712544
GTC1C713 Am Fireach57365 NN560124 c 30
      Meall an t-Seallaidh:        
GTC1C675 Meall Reamhar51365 NN512227 c 89
      Creag Mac Ranaich:        
GTC1C c 670 Meall Reamhar51365 NN569247 c 100
GTC1C707 Meall Sgallachd51365 NN553260 c 30
      Beinn Stacach:        
GTC1C674 Meall Cala57365 NN508127149
GTC1C697 Creagan nan Sgiath57365 NN485143112
GTC1C715 Taobh na Coille57365 NN466152 c 48
      Beinn a'Choin:        
GTC1C694 Maol Mor50,56364 NN373120130
GTC1C655 Stob an Fhainne50,56364 NN35811068
GTC1C613 Stob an Eighrach50,56364 NN342144 c 48
GTC1C659 Maol an Fhithich50,56364 NN349139 c 41
G1C753 The Stob 1551365 NN491231228
GTG1C734 Stob Caol51365 NN493220 c 55
G1C747 Meall Mor50,56364 NN383151 c 262
GTG1C714 An Garadh56364 NN404142 c 100
GTG1C727 Stob an Duibhe50,56364 NN39715480
GTG1C737 Meall Mor East Top50,56364 NN38814933
G1C729 Ben Venue 1657365 NN474063545
GTG1C703 Beinn Chochan 1757365 NN453057 c 128
GTG1C684 Stob an Lochain57365 NN465050 c 108
GTG1C700 Beinn Bhreac57365 NN457058 c 52
GTG1C727 Ben Venue East Top57365 NN477061 c 32
G1C688 Stob Breac57365 NN447166 c 243
GTG1C669 An Stuchd57365 NN44714744
G1C658 Creag Mhor57365 NN510185293
G1C632 Cruinn a'Bheinn56364 NN365051177
      Beinn Bhuidhe:        
GTM1D680 Beinn Chas50,56364 NN198162 c 82
GTM1D694 Beinn an t-Sidhein50,56360 NN182195 c 68
      Ben Vorlich:        
GTM1D647 Stob nan Coinnich Bhacain50,56364 NN302145 c 80
      Meall an Fhudair:        
GTC1D733 Troisgeach50,56364 NN29019480
G1D744 Meall nan Gabhar 1850364 NN235240265
GTG1D739 Meall nan Tighearn50364 NN238234 c 41
G1D684 Beinn Damhain50,56364 NN282173220
GTG1D645 Maol Breac50,56364 NN259158 c 116
G1D656 Meall Odhar50364,377 NN298298183
G1D652 Fiarach50364,377 NN344261181
G1D636 Beinn Bhalgairean50364 NN202241 c 209
GTG1D625 Beinn Bhreac50,56364 NN201216 c 87
G1E734 Doune Hill 1956364 NS290971695
GTG1E701 Doune Hill East Top56364 NS29697479
G1E713 Beinn Chaorach56347 NS287923381
GTG1E693 Balcnock56347 NS303914116
GTG1E657 Creag an Leinibh56347 NS311919 c 42
GTG1E656 Beinn Tharsuinn56347 NS29191534
G1E709 Beinn a'Mhanaich56347,364 NS269946358
G1E703 Beinn Eich56347,364 NS302946159
G1E684 Cruach an t-Sidhein56364 NS275965169
G1E681 Beinn Bhreac56364 NN321000524
GTG1E661 Ben Reoch56364 NN308021136
GTG1E632 Ben Reoch East Top56364 NN31301836
G1E657 Mid Hill 2056364 NS321962430
GTG1E642 Beinn Dubh56364 NS33595447
G1E632 Tullich Hill56364 NN293006273

Region 2 Loch Rannoch to Loch Tay

Class Sect Met Name MapLR MapE Grid Ref Drop
      Meall Buidhe:        
GTM2A655 Meall a'Bhobuir42,51385 NN51852069
GTM2A657 Carabad42,51385 NN48551640
      Cam Chreag:        
GTC2A747 Cross Craigs42,51385 NN537523 c 132
GTC2A741 Meall nam Maigheach51378 NN55649584
GTC2A653 Meall nan Sac42,51385 NN56151736
      Beinn Dearg:        
GTC2A741 Creag Ard51378,386 NN60148838
      Meall Tairneachan:        
GTC2A736 Creag an Loch52386 NN82154295
GTC2A654 Creag Chean 2142,51,52386 NN795532 c 52
GTC2A731 Ciochain a'Chop52386 NN808551 c 45
GTC2A678 Meall Odhar Mor42,51,52386 NN792543 c 32
      Farragon Hill:        
GTC2A691 Beinn Eagagach52386 NN855565 c 122
GTC2A630 Tom an Fhuarain52386 NN863562 c 65
GTC2A656 Creag an Lochain52386 NN83956764
GTC2A679 Creag a'Mhadaidh52386 NN83254251
GTC2A617 Meall a'Charra52386 NN89057647
GTC2A620 Meall a'Choire52386 NN881568 c 46
GTC2A651 Farragon Hill North Top52386 NN84356242
G2A745 Meall a'Mhuic42,51378,385 NN579508235
      Beinn Heasgarnich:        
GTM2B758 Meall a'Chall51378 NN436403 c 102
      Meall nan Tarmachan:        
GTM2B749 Meall Dhuin Croisg51378 NN54837074
      Meall Ghaordie:        
GTM2B712 Sron Eanchainne51378 NN481396 c 35
      Sgiath Chuil:        
GTM2B719 Creag Mhor51378 NN513340 c 62
      Beinn Odhar:        
GTC2B653 Meall Buidhe50364,377 NN34131853
      Meall nam Maigheach:        
GTC2B642 Creag nan Eildeag51378 NN59746176

Notes

  1. The Relative Hills of Britain, by Alan Dawson (Cicerone Press, April 1992). Referred to below as RHB.
  2. Beinn Talaidh: The 763m height given in RHB was taken from a spot height shown on some Ordnance Survey maps, but this point has no 760m contour and probably refers to a long-gone cairn. The 761m triangulation pillar is therefore the highest point, making Beinn Talaidh a Graham not a Corbett.
  3. Ladylea Hill: Height given as 609m in RHB but subsequent remapping indicates 610m. It is therefore the Graham least likely to have been climbed by anyone tackling the 2000-foot hills before 1995.
  4. See Corbett Tops and Corbetteers, by Alan Dawson and Dave Hewitt (TACit Press, 1999).
  5. See The Grahams and the New Donalds, by Alan Dawson and Dave Hewitt (TACit Press, 1999).
  6. Tir Eilde: Listed as Meall Dun Dhomhnuill by Yeaman.
  7. Shee of Ardtalnaig: Name given as Ciste Buide a'Claidheimh in RHB. This summit name is very prominent on the 1:25000 map, but Shee of Ardtalnaig is the more general hill name.
  8. Meall Buidhe: The more prominently named Beinn Leabhainn 500 metres to the north has a bigger area above 650m and was listed by Docharty, but Meall Buidhe is higher.
  9. Creag Each: Name not shown on Landranger map. Listed as Sron Mhor by Docharty.
  10. Meall nan Caorach, Meall Reamhar: The two closest Grahams; their summits are less than 1km apart. The next closest pair, Ben Mor Coigach and Sgurr an Fhidhleir, are about 1.2km apart.
  11. Ben Our: LR51 and LR57 indicate a 733m summit spot height, but larger scale maps show a 740m contour ring.
  12. Beinn Dearg: There are two tops of similar height about 1.5km apart, at either end of a long undulating ridge. Large scale maps give 706m for the eastern top, 705m for western (NN685190). Docharty listed the western top as the summit, naming it Forest of Glenartney.
  13. Sron na Maoile: Also 618m at NN690177.
  14. Mor Bheinn: The only Graham to appear on three Landranger maps. Though quite steep and heathery, the terrain is not as rocky as these maps suggest.
  15. The Stob: The name Meall na Frean applies to the 751m point at NN491230.
  16. Ben Venue: The highest point is about 300 metres NW of the triangulation pillar, which is on a separate top 2m lower.
  17. Beinn Chochan: Listed as Beinn Bhreac by Yeaman.
  18. Meall nan Gabhar: The summit has two tops of similar height about 200 metres apart. The 743m given in RHB is taken from the 1:25000 map and applies to the larger 740m contour ring (NN235242), whereas the 1:10000 map gives 744m for the more southerly top (NN235240). The summit of Meall nan Tighearn 600 metres further south looks equally prominent but is 5m lower.
  19. Doune Hill: Highest point of the Luss hills.
  20. Mid Hill: Name given as Mid Hill in RHB but as Beinn Dubh in GND2. Although the whole mountain is often referred to as Beinn Dubh, this is probably because the lower east top (Beinn Dubh) is more prominent than the main summit (Mid Hill) from Glen Luss.
  21. Creag Chean: Also 654m at NN795531.


To obtain a copy of the Graham Tops and Grahamists booklet, please contact the author via email to rhb@rhb.org.uk.