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Name: | Meikle Balloch Hill |
Hill number: | 1510 |
Height: | 366m / 1201ft |
RHB Section: | 21A: Tomintoul to Banff |
County/UA: | Aberdeenshire, Moray |
Catchment: | Deveron |
Class: | Marilyn, Hump, Tump (300-399m), Yeaman (Ma,Hu,Tu,3,Y) |
Grid ref: | NJ 47110 49506 |
Summit feature: | no feature: ground 5m from track between trig point and cairn |
Drop: | 193m |
Col: | 173m NJ420453 |
OS map sheet(s): | (1:50k) 28 29 (1:25k) 425S |
Observations: | summit is 70m SW of trig point (NJ 47165 49553) and 50m NE of cairn (NJ 47068 49480) |
Survey: | Abney level |
GPS data: | show GPS entries for this hill |
N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way. Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land(*).
*For information about access rights in Scotland see the ScotWays website.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass. Please quote the hill number and hill name.
Logged Descriptions (logged by 215 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all) | By | Date of Ascent |
Stopped off for a quick walk up normal route nice sunny cold day | Jamesand Allison | 06/01/2024 |
Emtb from car park to West | PeteF | 24/06/2023 |
Up forest track mid evening and with advice from locals that the forest track was driveable to area above the wind blown trees immediately blocking the wind blown trees blocking normal n walking path, so decided to explore further and actually drive quite high up on south side with only 15/20 mins walk to summit | vegibagger | 22/06/2023 |
From waterworks car park (NJ458493), blue path upwards still blocked by multiple fallen trees, so NE along forest roads to the start of the N end of the blue route, marked by a post, then direct up good path to trig point, short distance SW to summit, return same way (1h5m) | kdbennett | 11/02/2023 |
From west, car park above the water works. Blue path still closed by trees, easy zig-zag through gate and up track to rejoin the path. Lovely snowy ascent up through trees. Snow and ice on summit. | Minto | 07/12/2022 |
Route as described by Minto. Lovely straight path directly up through the trees. With Mntainman & Minto. | Dangerous Dave | 07/12/2022 |
Walked up as others from the waterworks base at the West of the Hill. The very start of the Blue trail is out of action but go through gate by car park, zig to the right at first junction and after about 200 yards you are back able to access blue circuit. The full circuit is very pretty, enjoyed this wee hill. | nickywood1 | 12/09/2022 |
Good parking at end of road NJ459494. Blue route currently closed due to windfall. Easily by-passed on mapped tracks - NE, hairpin S, resuming direct route at NJ 4604 4929. | carole engel | 16/05/2022 |
Third Marilyn of the day. A wee detour needed due to forestry work but nothing to out of the way. | Pilotralph | 13/03/2022 |
Parked at car park near the Scottish Water waterworks and walk up the most direct route to the summit. | JasonStark | 26/02/2022 |
Bottom of section of direct path from car park to summit closed due to fallen trees. From track from car park take first turning right which brings you to top of closed path section. Above there all is clear. | nicolajane | 10/12/2021 |
from the car park, waysigned path. | BLACKHILL | 30/09/2021 |
Blue is the colour, walking is the game; were all together, and summits are our aim. | summitter | 02/09/2020 |
From Balloch Wood car park, 458493, via marked circular blue trail. | Winterfloodian | 21/08/2020 |
Long version. Out from Keith via Dunnyduff Wood. | sarahk | 12/04/2020 |
easy sign posted route. busy car park. | VerySlowPlodder | 08/03/2020 |
Parked at the water works, west of the hill, followed the path directly east all the way to the top. Early start in the dark but no issues finding the way | Simon Winton | 06/01/2020 |
My first hill of 2020 and an easy ascent following the blue markers on a good path. It was blowing a gale so I returned the same way in order to have respite in the trees though I believe a more exposed but circular route is an option, also on the blue markers. | Peterb | 03/01/2020 |
Waterworks CP, Blue route. | Play2End | 03/09/2019 |
Walked from Keith. New network of paths giving a direct route to summit | Buteobuteo | 27/05/2019 |
From tiny FC CP adjacent to water works at NJ458493. 'Blue' route straight up through trees to top. | Isbjorn | 22/05/2019 |
tick | chazzyboy19 | 11/09/2018 |
Self, Peter and dog. Via the blue route from car park by waterworks. Pleasing to note the presence of pine marten scat in the forest, despite the popularity of the hill. | Invicta14 | 19/08/2018 |
Someone has built a tiny cairn now on high point. | Dave McG | 10/06/2018 |
Up the Blue Route from the Waterworks, down the Red to Burnmouth. | Chris Peart | 20/05/2018 |
Blue route from car park | trimarc2 | 14/05/2018 |
From CP following Blue Route. | ger | 19/04/2018 |
As others from the water works to the west up the great blue path. New path spoil heap at summit over tops the true summit in height | N.Morters | 12/04/2018 |
Blue route, as others. 3rd of 7 today, on a lovely sunny day: Ben Aidan, Knockan, Meikle Balloch, Knock Hill, Fourman Hill, Hill of Tillymorgan, Hill of Foudland. | PGCE | 20/02/2018 |
nice views of Ben Rinnes. | gettingonabit | 18/02/2018 |
From the waterworks, using the blue route. I was advised by a local that I would not be able to get my car up the hill because of the ice, but it was easy. A snowy, icy walk through the forestry, and the path beyond the trees was a peaty slush fest. Nice views from the top. Returned using the other half of the blue route, which has a better surfaced path, so less slush. | Gill | 31/12/2017 |
From Balloch Forest CP. at Keith. With Karen and Lauren. | ChrisR | 17/06/2017 |
Solo | HFB | 06/08/2016 |
ascended using the 'blue walk' between work meetings! Made entry into summit log at trig point! | raffemeister | 21/06/2016 |
Weather fair. | MountainMac | 23/01/2016 |
Easy up w Jenx from the water works, the Blue route. New raised ground near to trig potential new high point. Mini bing methinks ;-) Crisp and cold/clear day | nordicstar | 19/01/2016 |
Good early morning walk. Took the circular blue route. | jenx | 19/01/2016 |
Circuit on marked trail from car park behind waterworks. Route and write-up at: http://gayleybird.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/knock-hill-and-meikle-of-balloch.html | Gayle | 28/08/2015 |
Here for the trigpoint. TP:UK log: 
 
Lovely walk up the blue route, path is very well maintained and although steep at the start made for an easy ascent compared to some I've done recently. Descent just as easy and evidence of ongoing path maintenance. Great views to Keith and Newmills from the top, spotted lots of climbed and unclimbed peaks! | thejackrustles | 08/08/2015 |
Circular trail as marked on signage at car park by the waterworks. | benalder284 | 14/06/2015 |
from carpark at water works followed marked trail to the summit. | robertphillips | 16/05/2015 |
Quick walk up here whilst geocaching, main track from Keith. | mcbboyd | 23/03/2015 |
Trail from water works | AndrewFinnimore | 05/08/2014 |
Easy walk up the blue trail from the carpark behind the water treatment works. Drizzly rain. | Thearlaichdubh | 07/05/2014 |
Doing trig. | BigJ | 20/03/2014 |
Glorious day. | bolton | 19/02/2013 |
With Anne. From Coachford along forest tracks. Contrary to my OS 1:50,000 map a track continues from the forest over open ground to the trig point. Trig point is not the highest point, this being someway SW of the trig point and off the track. Returned same way. | pwbellarby | 30/09/2012 |
With IS, from Wester Herricks. Expected a fight through the trees from this side but there is a nice forest walk that goes over the summit. | amswanston | 01/07/2012 |
With AS. Part Carried. With IS, from Wester Herricks. Expected a fight through the trees from this side but there is a nice forest walk that goes over the summit. | iks | 01/07/2012 |
Lovely hill with walks through woods to summit, good for a family. Started from parking spot at NJ457495 near works. | sotabagger | 12/05/2012 |