A view of Ben Vane, by Loch Lomond

The Munro Society

Height Changes

Press Release – 10th September 2009

 

The Munro Society was founded in 2002 and membership (currently over 250) is open to anyone who has completed a round of all the Munros.  A Munro is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands which is 3,000 ft (914.4m) or higher. 

Sir Hugh Munro, who originally identified the 3,000 ft mountains, published his list in 1891, since known as Munro’s Tables.   These have been revised over time, but remain in print and are published by the Scottish Mountaineering Trust, a charitable offshoot of the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC).   The current edition lists 284 Munros.

Munro was very concerned with height accuracy and habitually carried an aneroid barometer to check the heights of mountains, many of which did not have Ordnance Survey “spot heights”.   The Munro Society is concerned to carry on this tradition of accuracy and has sponsored “heightings” of mountains just below or just above 3,000 ft employing the most up-to-date GPS survey equipment. 

During 2009 four heightings were undertaken, two in May and two in July.   The two in July were made possible by the generosity of Society member “Clem” Clements, who wished to mark the 40th anniversary of his compleation of the Munros. 

The survey equipment used belongs to two Society members, John Barnard and Graham Jackson who, together with Myrddyn Phillips, provided the technical credibility required for the work. Their competence and the accuracy of their equipment are recognised by the Ordnance Survey as sufficient to accept their figures for further checking. 

Scottish mountains between 2,500 ft and 2,999 ft are called Corbetts, and there are currently 220. 

The results of the surveys are as follows.

15th May 2009, Beinn Teallach (NN361849) north of Loch Laggan: 914.60m, just retains Munro status

16th May 2009, Ben Vane (NN277098) west of Loch Lomond: 915.76m, comfortably retains Munro status

14th July 2009, Sgurr a’Choire-bheithe (NG895015) above Barrisdale in Knoydart: 913.32m, retains Corbett status

15th July 2009, Sgurr nan Ceannaichean (NH087480) south of Glen Carron: 913.43m, requires to be reclassified from Munro to Corbett status. 

The Ordnance Survey has checked the figures for Sgurr nan Ceannaichean and is in agreement with them. 

There remain other mountains which are near to 3,000 ft, The Munro Society hopes to survey these as funds permit.