Schiehallion has a rich flora, interesting folklore and archaeology, and a unique place in scientific history for an 18th-century experiment in "weighing the Earth".

The limestone pavement provides nutrients, supporting plants including dog's mercury, lily of the valley and wood anemone.

[9] Schiehallion's isolated position and regular shape led it to be selected by the English astronomer Charles Mason (of Mason–Dixon line fame) for a ground-breaking experiment to estimate the mass of the Earth in 1774.

He was assisted in the task by mathematician Charles Hutton, who devised a graphical system to represent large volumes of surveyed heights, later known as contour lines.

[9] Most walkers start from the Forestry and Land Scotland car park at Brae of Foss, which lies just outside the boundary of the John Muir Trust estate.

The route, which initially heads southwest before turning west to follow the main ridgeline of the hill, is about 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) in length.

By 1999, when the John Muir Trust bought the estate, the main path had become exceedingly eroded by the passage of many thousands of walkers.

[14] One of the major oilfields on Scotland's continental shelf, it is operated by BP and situated approximately 180 mi (290 km) west of Shetland.

The Anglo-Cypriot power metal band Gloryhammer mentions Schiehallion in the song "The Fires of Ancient Cosmic Destiny" on the album Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex and refers to the popular misconception that mountain is a volcano.