In a discrete track medium and a patterned medium, a meniscus adsorptive force is reduced and writing into adjacent tracks is prevented. A magnetic layer in lands or patterns in the discrete track medium or the patterned medium is formed into a cylindrical shelly or spherical shelly shape with a uniform thickness. Moreover, a height of cylindrical shelly land or a height of spherical shelly land is changed between 5 nm and 30 nm according to radial positions. Thus, an effect is achieved for providing a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic disk apparatus which are excellent in realizing higher recording density and higher reliability.