Photographs, route description and map of an ascent of the Corbett Meall na Fearna above Loch Earn in the Southern Highlands of Scotland

Ardvorlich House at the start of ascent

Ardvorlich has been the residence of the Stewart Family
since the 16th century.

The present house, built 1790 by Robert Ferguson,
probably incorporating fabric from an earlier castle,
is a good example of a medium-sized
formal 18th century house,
with additions from throughout the 19th century.

Ardvorlich House

Canmore - Ardvorlich House

Wikipedia - Stewart of Balquhidder

Ardvorlich House at the start of ascent

Ardvorlich has been the residence
of the Stewart Family since the 16th century.

The present house, built 1790 by Robert Ferguson,
probably incorporating fabric from an earlier castle,
is a good example of a medium-sized
formal 18th century house,
with additions from throughout the 19th century.

Ardvorlich House

Canmore - Ardvorlich House

With their proximity to the Central Belt, Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’ Chroin are among the most popular Munros.
Not to be confused with Loch Lomondside’s Ben Vorlich, this Stirlingshire hill ( 3,232ft / 985m ) shares its name origin.
Coming from the Gaelic mur-bhalg, it means sea bay, and refers to small bays in the lochs that sit at their respective feet.
Meall na Fearna, 2,654ft / 809m is a neighbouring Corbett of the bigger pair and the combination of Meall na Fearna and Ben Vorlich seemed an obvious candidate.
Meall na Fearna, the hill of the alder, lies east of Ben Vorlich and is separated by a steep, narrow deﬁle through which runs a right of way between Callander and Lochearnhead.
The Corbett is the highest point in a jumble of grassy hills that lie between Glen Artney and Loch Earn and can be fairly easily climbed on a relatively short day from either Ardvorlich in the north or Glen Artney in the south.
Higher up from the lower slopes of Glen Vorlich and the path, grassy slopes lead to Beinn Domhnuill and over the peat-bogs of the bealach between it and the Corbett.
The stony summit of Meall na Fearna provides far-ﬂung views over Flanders Moss towards Stirling in contrast to the big peaks of Highland Scotland in the north. These hills are pretty much the southern outposts of the Highlands but for all that neighbouring Ben Vorlich looks very impressive. Grassy slopes leads down to the right of way that runs from Glen Artney through to Ardvorlich and a long rising traverse gains the long south-south-east ridge of Ben Vorlich.
Narrow in places but straightforward, the ridge offers views across to rocky Stuc a’ Chroin and Bealach an Dubh Chorein between it and Ben Vorlich. The north ridge is then taken back down to Glen Vorlich.

Route: Start and ﬁnish at Ardvorlich on the south side of Loch Earn ( GR: NN632232 ).
Go through the E gate of Ardvorlich House and follow the road that climbs S into Glen Vorlich.
This road soon becomes a track and after a mile or so a green path breaks away to the let.
Follow this path towards the defile between Meall na Fearna and Ben Vorlich.
As this path crosses the 500m contour take to the grassy slopes to the left and climb the slopes of Beinn Domhnuill,
cross peaty ground to its south and climb the stony slopes to Meall na Fearna.
To return descend due W from the summit and follow the path N between Ben Vorlich and Meall na Fearna.
This path soon becomes very sketchy but by keeping to the higher ground W of the burn connect with
the Ben Vorlich path that runs downhill back to Ardvorlich House.
Altematively, descend due W to the right of way and take an ascending traverse SSW on to the SSE ridge of Ben Vorlich.
Follow the ridge all the way to the summit and descend via the hill's N ridge back to Glen Vorlich.