A Munro is a Scottish mountain over 3,000 feet (914.4 metres) that appears on the official list kept by the Scottish Mountaineering Club. There are 282 of them, spread right across the Highlands and islands, from Ben Lomond near Glasgow to Ben Hope near the north coast.
Height alone doesn’t make a Munro. A summit also has to be a distinct mountain rather than just a bump on another hill’s shoulder, and that judgement is made by the club. The lesser summits over 3,000 feet that don’t quite qualify are called Munro Tops.
Climbing all 282 is known as “compleating” the Munros, with that old-fashioned spelling, and it’s one of the most famous challenges in British hill walking.
282Munros on the list
1,344.5 mHighest Munro
1891Year the list was first published
Who Was Sir Hugh Munro?
1856Born1919Died
Sir Hugh Munro was a Scottish laird and mountaineer, born in 1856, and one of the founding members of the Scottish Mountaineering Club in 1889. At the time, nobody knew how many Scottish mountains topped 3,000 feet. Many guessed around thirty.
Munro decided to settle it. He worked through maps and climbed hundreds of hills himself, and in 1891 published his Tables in the club’s journal. They listed 538 summits over 3,000 feet, of which he counted 283 as separate mountains. The walking world was astonished, and a new pastime was born.
Munro never compleated his own list. He died in 1919 with just a few summits left, including the Inaccessible Pinnacle on Skye.
The first person traditionally credited with climbing all the Munros was the Reverend Archibald Robertson, who finished on Meall Dearg in Glen Coe in 1901.
A List That Changes
Unlike most hill lists, the Munros aren’t fixed. Better surveys sometimes show a summit is a little higher or lower than thought, and the club revises the Tables from time to time. The total dropped as low as 276, rose to 284 in 1997, and settled at today’s 282 after two hills were demoted following new surveys, in 2009 and 2012.
Here’s every one of the 282, drawn to height and grouped by area.
20Southern HighlandsBen Lomond to Ben More
57Central HighlandsBen Lawers to Creag Meagaidh
60Lochaber & Glen CoeBen Nevis and the Mamores
32Cairngormsthe Arctic plateau
62West HighlandsKnoydart to Kintail
38Northern HighlandsTorridon to the far north
13Islandsthe Cuillin and Mull
More than half of them sit between 914 and 999 metres, just over the magic 3,000 feet. Only ten break 1,200 metres, and five of those are in the Cairngorms.
Most Munros are long walks rather than climbs, but one stands apart. Sgurr Dearg on Skye is crowned by the Inaccessible Pinnacle, a blade of rock that rises above the true summit ridge and needs a rope and basic rock climbing skills to reach. For many walkers it’s the very last Munro they tick.
How To Get Started
Most people start with the Munros nearest home and build from there. Good first ones include Ben Lomond above Loch Lomond, Schiehallion in Perthshire, and Ben Lawers above Loch Tay, all with clear paths and big views.
Track your progress. Our Munros Map plots all 282 with a route for each, and you can tick them off as you go.
Plan for the weather. Scottish mountain weather can be serious at any time of year. Check a mountain forecast and turn back if it’s worse than expected.
Winter is different. From late autumn to spring many Munros hold snow and ice. You’ll need an ice axe, crampons and the skills to use them.
Take proper navigation. Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, especially on the big plateaux.
Know the access code. Scotland has a right of responsible access. Follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, especially during the stalking season.
Ready To Start Bagging?
The Munros will take you to the wildest, most beautiful corners of Scotland, from the Cairngorm plateau to the jagged ridges of Skye. Whether you aim to compleat them all or just climb a few favourites, every one is an adventure.
Interactive map
All 282 Munros on one map
Every mountain with a pre-planned route to follow. Sign in and tick them off as you go.
