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Section 0 Galloway and Border Hills
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Section 1- Trip Reports for the Midland Valley to the River Tay mountain area
Section 1 - refers to the hills and mountains around the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. It includes the Arrochar Alps, the Cowal peninsula, east and west of Glen Falloch and south of Crianlarich. They cover the Corbetts, Grahams and Munros that I have climbed in this area since 2003.
Index to Hills in this Section
Meall nan Gabhar6 April 2008
Meall nan Gabhar appeared to be a bit problematic in relation to access as the map showed the approach from the A85 Tyndrum to Dalmally Road was obstructed by a forest. An alternative was a long approach from Glen Falloch on the A82 south of Crianlarich where a cycle could be used for part of the route. In the morning it was windy with frequent snow showers so I thought that I would explore the northern approach as the forest would afford some shelter and as the weather wasn’t great I could abandon the ascent if there wasn’t a way onto Meall nan Gabhar. A forest track left the A85 just west of the road to Glen Orchy and opposite the house at Corryghoil. There was no signs preventing me driving up this track for nearly two kilometres to the bridge leading to Succoth Lodge. Here a sign, near a gate, did indicate that vehicular access was forbidden without permission so I parked nearby and continued through the forest on foot. The vehicle track crossed under the railway line and followed a line of pylons before turning 90 degrees to continue up through the forest. At the point where the forest track did a U turn a new track, not shown on my map, headed down to and across the Allt Coire Lair and then north along its east bank, possibly to join the track shown on the map south of the Allt a'Chaorainn. Some tree felling had taken place on the east side of the Allt Coire Lair and although the going was rough and awkward over some felled trees which had been left to decay I found a route through them. A deer fence also had to be scaled but at least I had found a route towards Meall nan Gabhar. The ground was fairly solid due to the cold weather with some snow cover and I worked my way onto its south-west ridge. Once on the ridge I had a views to the Munro Beinn Bhuidhe and the Cruachan mountains. A snow storm latter blotted out these hills but missed me. As I gained height there were views south to Ben Vorlich and Ben Vane. I eventually reached the summit of Meall nan Gabhar as shown on my map, where it was very windy. However I had read that the true summit was now being stated as the knoll to its south-east so I walked over to it. From these knolls I had views of the snow clad Munros of Beinn a’Chleibh, Ben Lui and Ben Oss. I continued south-east to Meall nan Tighearn where the views of these mountains were even better. The long alternative route from Glen Falloch was also visible as were the Crianlarich Hills and the Corbett Meall an Fhudair. The return was across some icy ground onto the south-west ridge of Meall nan Gabhar and back to the start by my ascent route. I was glad I had climbed Meall nan Gabhar from the north as it was a lot shorter and I didn't have to use a cycle. However for anyone planning on following this route it is possible to cycle from the A85 up through the forest to the Allt Coire Lair.
Stob an Eas and Cruach nam Mult5 April 2008
These two Grahams are located in the Arrochar area in the west of Scotland on either side of Gleann Beag ( Hell's Glen). A single track road, the B839, runs through Gleann Beag and is reached from either the A815 Dunoon road or from the B828 Rest of Be Thankful to Lochgoilhead Road. Near the highest point of the road through Gleann Beag there were a couple of forest tracks on either side. The bellmouth of the easterly one was sufficiently wide to allow parking. I set off along this easterly track which initially climbed through the forest to a couple of zig zags. The path then levelled out before it continued well beyond what was shown on the map, although latterly it did start to deteriorate. It then climbed through a break in the forest until I came out onto the open hillside. I was surprised to find that there was no deer fence. I saw a fellow walker near the summit of my next hill, Cruach nam Mult on the other side of the Glen. I followed the side of a stream that flowed down from Stob an Eas passed some Tormentil, the first of the year, to the rocky summit of Stob an Eas. It was then just a short climb to the summit trig point where I took a break with views of Beinn an Lochain, The Cobbler, Ben Donich, The Brack and Beinn Bheula. The return to my vehicle was by the route of ascent reaching the shelter of the forest just as the first snow shower of the day started. I had been trying to see if was possible to access Cruach nam Mult by the track on the west side of the road but there was nothing obvious. I therefore drove back down Gleann Beag to the end of the forest on its west side. On the opposite (east) side there was a small parking area for a single vehicle. Wild primroses were flowering on the nearby embankment. I crossed the road and a small stream before climbing up the side of the forest over some rough ground as I encountered another snow shower. A couple of gullies had to be avoided as I headed for the bealach between Stob Liath and Cruach nam Mult where there was a fence. The fence was followed for a short distance before it dropped south-west towards Gleann Canachadan. I was then confronted by a rocky summit but a move to my left found a steep but suitable walking route to the summit which was marked by a small cairn of around three stones. Here I had lunch in another of the now frequent snow storms. The return was by the upward route and was uneventful. The end of a successful day climbing a couple of new hills.
Meall Dearg21 January 2008
This hill is located to the west of Glen Cochill and the A816 Aberfeldy to Crieff road runs through the glen making access relatively easy. Climbing this hill should take around two hours so rather than make a special journey to this area I decided to take a diversionary route home to bag this Graham. Parking is a bit restrictive at the point where I wanted to stop but I found an area on the east side of the road just south of the bridge over the Cochill Burn. I left my vehicle, crossed the road and a fence and headed over rough ground avoiding some bog. Patches of snow were down as far as road level but it was mainly soft snow so I tried to avoid it. I crossed the old General Wade's Military Road, which is now used by sheep, and shortly thereafter started the ascent of Meall Dearg. The snow conditions were very variable. Sometimes it held my weight, other times I was up to my shins in the snow. Occasionally it was icy especially where the sheep had been and the bootprints left by walkers, probably a few day's earlier. The ascent was just a matter of seeking the easiest route following the edge of a stream until a slightly steeper ascent took me to the summit trig point. Here there was a cold wind blowing but I made use of my new down jacket and sat there for a while taking in the surrounding views which included the Ben Lawers mountains, Carn Mairig Group, Schiehallion, Beinn a'Ghlo and the Drummochter mountains.
The descent was by the upward route. Half way down a mountain hare ran off but then stopped long
enough for me to get a photograph.
Beinn Bhalgairean20 January 2008
This Graham is located to the south-east of the village of Dalmally and can be accessed through Brackley Farm. However parking or even stopping on the busy A85 was rather hazardous so I parked in the village. A new Health Centre, not on my map, had recently been constructed on the eastern outskirts of the village so I used their car park as it was a Sunday and the Health Centre was closed. I walked back along the A85 for around 350 metres and up the un-tarred road to Brackley Farm. I worked my way round the farm, over the railway line via a bridge and entered a field. I stayed on the vehicle track which went steeply uphill before leaving it and following another track through the field towards the forest. Once through a further gate I crossed a small stream onto a recently upgraded section of track which took me to a wide wet and boggy area. I had views back to Ben Cruachan, the Dalmally Horeshoe, Beinn a'Chochuill and Beinn Eunaich. Once across this area I joined another section of improved track where several new fences had been built, including deer fences. Beyond the top end of the forest the track became wet and in places boggy but I soon left it and climbed onto Meall Breac. Thereafter I followed the Allt Mhaluidh until I could see the summit of Beinn Bhalgairean. To reach the summit I had to avoid some deep wet snow before a steeper section took me to the summit. There was a cairn there but it didn't appear to be located on the highest point. It was cold and windy on the summit so I found some shelter for a break looking over to the cloud covered summits of Beinn na Sroine, Meall nan Gabhar, Meall an Fhudair and Beinn Bhuidhe.
I returned towards Meall Breac before taking a more direct line to
the edge of the forest and followed my upward route back to Brackley Farm and Dalmally. At the farm the hook on the gate had
been knocked off since I had passed through the gate in the morning.
When I saw the farmer he advised me that he
had just moved some cows and the bull had gone a bit wild and had damaged the
fence and gate. Thankfully I had missed that excitement.
Fiarach23 December 2007
The forecast was for the weather to deteriorate later in the day so I decided on this short ascent of the Graham Fiarach. The starting point was the car park at Dalrigh on the west side of the A82 between Crianlarich and Tyndrum. This is also one of the starting points for Beinn Dubhchraig and Ben Lui. The short walk to the bridge over the River Fillan was rather treacherous as the tarred road was just a sheet of ice. Once across the bridge I took a right and followed the vehicle track which led to the bridge over the railway line. Once over the bridge I continued along the icy track towards Gleann Auchreoch and on reaching the forest followed its edge uphill. Care was still required due to ice but the advantage was that it was easier to cross the boggy sections. Navigation wasn't a problem as a fence continued to the frozen Loch Fiarach and onwards towards the summit. The gradient beyond the Loch eased and was rather boggy, although fortunately for me frozen. There were several fences crossing the area which could be confusing in bad weather but one of the fences led towards the summit cairn which was perched on top of some crags. It was rather cold and windy on the top but I managed to find some shelter for a bite to eat before heading back to Loch Fiarach. From here I took a more direct route to the railway bridge used on the upward route and followed the vehicle track back to the start.
Meall Odhar2 December 2007
Tyndrum was the starting point for this walk and it is a very interesting wee village. There were gold and lead mines worked here and it has two railway stations, which is rather unusual for such a small hamlet. It is popular for the Green Welly Stop, which is on the main road north from Glasgow to Fort William, it is on the route of the West Highland Way and a tour bus company is based here. I parked beside the Lower Station, which is on the railway line for Oban, and crossed the line at the level crossing before walking north-west through a forest along the side of the railway line. After around 650 metres the path left the railway line and climbed through the forest and later became rather steep and stony as it reached the old lead mine workings which date back to the beginning of the 18th century. The lead mine area was fenced off with numerous warning signs but a stony path wound its way uphill on the north side of the old mine. The views back down into Tyndrum and Strath Fillan were inspiring with patches of low cloud hanging around and as height was gained the snow capped peaks of the surrounding mountains came into view. The path continued to well above the old lead mine and thereafter an easy short walk led to the summit cairn of Sron nan Colan where I sat for a while taking in the views. There was no wind and despite the snow capped tops it wasn't too cold. Sron nan Colan wasn't my target hill it was further west so a short descent took me to the top of the tree line above Cononish Glen. It was a bit boggy here as I walked between a few stunted trees before commencing the ascent of Meall Odhar, which was rocky in places. There were some deer feeding on the horizon but they soon disappeared. It was a relatively easy ascent and just before the summit I came across a couple of stags but they had also spotted me and ran off before I could get a decent photograph of them with the snow capped Beinn Chuirn in the background. From the summit of Meall Odhar I again had some good views including the Crianlarich Hills, Ben Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig, Ben Lui, the Tyndrum Corbetts, Beinn Dorain and Beinn a'Chreachain and away north to Meall a'Bhuiridh and Creise. Once I had tried to name all the visible hills I returned to the tree line east of Meall Odhar and followed the Allt nan Sae through the forest into Cononish Glen. This route was rather boggy in places churned up by the deer but at least there was a gap in the trees instead of fighting my way through the forest. On reaching the vehicle track on the north side of the River Cononish I walked along it for a few metres before following another vehicle track that climbed through the forest before descending to the Lower Station at Tyndrum and the end of a very pleasant circular walk to the Graham, Meall Odhar.
Creag Each and Creag Ruadh14 October 2007
The start of this walk was the north side of Loch Earn where the A85 runs between St Fillans and Lochearnhead. Just west of a house called Woodhouse there was a large farm building where ample parking was available in lay-bys at either side of the road. Immediately I alighted from my car I heard the roar of the stags on the south side of Loch Earn. I went through a gate and walked up a rough vehicle track passed some derelict buildings, some of which were being restored, and into Glen Tarken. There were a couple of other gates to pass through and beside one there was a misleading sign stating "keep to roadways during shooting season 12 Aug - 15 Feb". In terms of the access legislation this blanket ban isn't permitted and in any case it was a Sunday when stalking doesn't take place. As I continued up Glen Tarken I could hear the roar of the stags above me and on reaching the stream flowing down from Creag Each I left the track and headed uphill. Initially I had to avoid some cattle and then tried to work my way round bracken and into a small corrie where I disturbed some deer. This obviously upset the stag as he wasn't able to control his harem of hinds which disappeared into the cloud. The roaring continued as I climbed a gully and also entered the cloud before reaching some peat hags. At this point I climbed to the summit of Creag Each, which in the mist didn't appear as rocky as the map showed. I left this summit and followed a bearing, roughly north, until I cleared the cloud and descended to the vehicle track in Glen Tarken. On the descent I found evidence of a deer having been shot, probably in the past few days, as there was blood and intestines lying about. I walked along the track in Glen Tarken and heard voices in the distance. There were probably about a dozen walkers about a kilometre behind me. At the point where the track turned and headed back along the opposite side of the Glen I left it and commenced the climb of Creag Ruadh. As I gained height I aimed for Loch Eas Domhain and spotted a vole which quickly disappeared. In fact I saw at least three voles that day. In was very misty at the Loch so I needed to walk on a bearing to reach the summit of Creag Ruadh working my way round some rocks. It was a bit cold and windy on the summit but there were ample sheltered places to eat lunch in the mist. After lunch I descended into Glen Tarken, where again I had to avoid some cattle, crossed the vehicle track on the east side of the Glen and followed various animal paths to the west side track. I then followed it back to my car again with the roar of the stags above me and from the other side of the Loch.
Creag Gharbh13 October 2007
The plan was to hill walk elsewhere but the weather forecast for the weekend wasn't very good with low cloud and some rain so I settled for some Graham bagging. The start of this walk was the South Loch Tay Road around 1.5 kilometres from the village of Killin at the bridge over the Achmore Burn. There are very few parking spaces at this location. I left my car and walked along the tarred road, on the east side of the burn, which climbed steadily through the forest. Eventually I cleared the forest at a communication tower and the road continued along the edge of the forest and onto the Scottish Hydro Electric dam at Lochan Breaclaich. At this point the tarred road ceased but a rough track continued and I walked along it for just under two kilometres to a 'U' bend. From here it was a relatively short climb over some rough terrain to the summit cairn of Creag Gharbh. It was rather windy on the summit so after taking a few photographs of Loch Tay and the surrounding mountains, the tops of the higher ones being cloud covered, I found some shelter for a bite to eat with views of Loch Tay. After my snack I took a more direct route back to Lochan Breaclaich and re-traced my steps along the tarred road to the start of the day's walk.
Mor Bheinn23 September 2007
The Graham Mor Bheinn is situated south of Comrie and was a convenient hill to climb on my return home from the west coast. The ascent started from Craggish on the south-west side of the village on a narrow road where only verge parking was available. I walked along the signposted private road to Aberuchill Castle by-passing the Castle by a vehicle track to the south-east. At Tomanour, which appeared to be holiday homes, a vehicle track, not marked on the map, headed towards Mor Bheinn. The Estate had obviously spent a lot of money on fencing and improving the Estate and was obviously breeding pheasants to shoot. In fact I have never seen so many pheasants together flying about and squawking. I followed this newly found vehicle track which initially followed the stream flowing from the bealach between Mor Bheinn and Ben Halton. Unfortunately the track later changed direction and I was left with no option but to wade through heather and bracken as I headed towards Mor Bheinn. Occasionally there were some animal tracks to follow. There was no relenting from the deep heather and as I headed towards the summit several deer ran off down the north–east ridge. The summit trig point was eventually reached with views of St Fillans and Loch Earn, as well as the Ben Lawers range of mountains, Ben Mor, Stob Binnein, Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’Chroin. It was rather windy on the summit but I found shelter for lunch looking out over Comrie towards Crieff and Perth. There were a couple of cairns to the north so I visited them but they didn’t appear as high as the trig point. I then commenced the descent of Mor Bheinn and found some grassy areas to use which was easier than going through the heather and bracken. I came across some feral goats which ran off when they spotted me. There was also another family of goats on the opposite side of the glen. The descent route eventually took me back to the vehicle tracks used earlier that day and I followed them back to the start.
Meall Mor22 September 2007
I had been contemplating the ascent of this isolated Graham for a couple of years and had thought of combining it with the Corbett Stob a’Choin but I was glad I hadn’t as it was a tough hill to climb in its own right. The start of this walk was the car park at Inverlochlarig where the fairly large car park fills quickly on a fine day. Fortunately when I arrived there were only two other vehicles there. I walked to Inverlochlarig Farmhouse and as per the request on the car park notice board I enquired whether there was any stalking taking place that day to be told there was none. I continued through the farm buildings and along the vehicle track on the north side of the River Larig. It would be quite possible to use a mountain bike on this track. After around four kilometres I left the track and crossed some wet and boggy ground to the River Larig, which I crossed. There was no improvement in the condition of the vegetation on the south side of the river, in fact it was worse with the boggy ground churned up by cattle hooves. It took me some time to find the best route across the bog before the climb of Stob an Duibhe commenced. The higher I climbed the steeper the hill became and I was forced to zig zag my way up the hill. On reaching the summit of Stob an Duibhe I realised that I had been sheltered from the wind. It was rather cold and windy on the summit where I had views of Lochs Katrine and Lomond as well as the Crianlarich mountains. The descent of the west ridge of Stob an Duibhe for around 80 metres was rather steep and rocky. There were some old fence posts along this ridge but they weren’t always positioned on the best descent route. The walk continued along the ridge with several ups and downs and here I heard the roar of a stag from Glen Gyle in the south-west. The first roar of the year so the rut had started and it would now be easier to spot the stags on the mountainsides. It took some time to traverse this ridge but I eventually arrived at the highest point on Meall Mor which was marked by a small cairn. I had good views in all directions including Ben Lomond to the south. I sought some shelter on the north side of the mountain behind a large boulder looking towards my ascent route. On arrival at this boulder I had obviously disturbed a herd of deer who ran off to the west but my attention was drawn to a ledge below me where a fox was wandering around sniffing out some prey. I watched this fox, which was unaware of my presence, for some time before sitting down to eat my lunch. As I was about to leave I spotted a fellow walker above me who I think must have ascended from Glen Gyle. I descended steeply down the north side of Meall Mor avoiding lots of rocky outcrops and lower down avoiding a herd of cattle in the glen. I did have a short section of wet and boggy ground to cross before reaching the River Larig. I crossed the river and then followed the vehicle track back to the car park in a pleasant sunny afternoon.
Beinn Bhreac and Tullich Hill21 September 2007
The start of this walk was Invergroin in Glen Douglas reached from the A82 Glasgow to Tarbert Road at Inverbeg. There was very limited parking at Invergroin where there was a bungalow and static caravan. The adjacent Tullich Farm appeared to be derelict. I parked on the bridge between Invergroin and Tullich Farm and walked east for a few metres to the gate leading to the static caravan. I went through the gate and followed an All Terrain Vehicle track towards Beinn Bhreac through another couple of gates. The ground was rather waterlogged due to the recent poor weather. Higher up the ground was a bit steeper with a few rocky outcrops. The summit trig point on Beinn Bhreac was reached where there was a strong cool wind blowing. The views down Loch Lomond made up for the inconvenience of the wind. Once I had taken a few photographs I headed along Beinn Bhreac’s north ridge to its bealach with Ben Reoch. Here I decided to climb Ben Reoch as it appeared an easier option than to traverse to the bealach at Ant-Sreang. I ascended Ben Reoch where it was very windy and walking into the wind was hard work. However once I descended towards the Ant-Sreang bealach walking became easier. Fence posts would assist navigation in poor weather but they do go over several rocky outcrops. I kept to the north of the fence posts and on reaching the Ant-Sreang bealach found it to be wet and boggy. Once on the other side of this bealach I commenced the ascent of Tullich Hill as the rain started but it was short lived. I kept to the north of a rib of rock and worked my way through long vegetation to the summit of Tullich Hill. The actual summit wasn’t that clear. There were several knolls with a couple of cairns on two of them. The largest cairn was on the west end of the rather large summit area so it may be the highest point. I descended the south-east ridge of Tullich Hill where lower down it was again rather wet and boggy before I reached the road in Glen Douglas at Tullich Farm.
Meall Buidhe25 August 2007
The route of the A85 Lochearnhead to Lix Toll Road goes through Glen Ogle and at its high point, opposite Lochan Lairig Cheile, there is a parking area. Here a 'hot food' van operates so the car park may be busy. East of the car park the area has a large deer fence with a vehicle track, not shown on my map, that leads uphill to a radio mast. A locked gate prevents vehicle access and a sign indicates that walkers should find an alternative route although they have built a wicket gate. As alternative routes are over rough terrain I went through the wicket gate and followed the path to the radio mast, which is actually beyond the top end of the deer fence, where there is no advice regarding route taking. The weather consisted of some low cloud and light rain but the track made for good progress and from the radio mast I headed over rough ground to the bealach between Beinn Leabhainn and Meall Buidhe. From the bealach it was a short climb to the summit of Meall Buidhe which has two cairns. The northern one appears the highest and the southern one a viewpoint down to Glen Ogle and Loch Earn. I had a brief view of Loch Earn before the cloud closed in again. The return was by the route of ascent. There appear to be no problem using this track despite the notice at the start. There is also a fence round the radio mast but I left the track a few metres before reaching the mast.
Beinn na Gainimh29 July 2007
I was looking for a short walk prior to my return home so I settled for this Graham and decided to climb it from Glen Quaich. Access to Glen Quaich was from the Sma' Glen on the A822 north of Crieff at Amulree. There is a single track road running through the Glen and parking at the start of the walk at Croftmill wasn't possible but I managed to find some verge parking further east. I walked back along the road, up the side of the house at Croftmill, through a gate and onto a vehicle track which I followed to Lochan a'Mhuilinn. It was a bit windy but at least the sun appeared on occasions. Beyond the lochan the track ceased and became a path with some wet sections as the ground at this point was fairly flat. At a suitable location I left the path and climbed through heather to just west of Beinn na Gainimh's North-East top. On looking back into Glen Lochan I saw a couple of ruined cottages, probably flattened during The Clearances and Lochan Uaine which was covered in weed. On reaching the ridge I was confronted by a double fence, both electrified, so I followed it to a bealach and up the side of the crags to the north of Beinn na Gainimh. Here the wind was rather strong and cold despite the sun. There was no break in the fences so I had no option but to cross them before I headed to the summit of Beinn na Gainimh. The summit which was covered in Cloudberry in fruit. was marked by a few stones. There were views of Auchnafree Hill and Ben Chonzie to the south and Beinn a'Ghlo to the east so I managed to get a few photographs. I left the summit and traversed to another top to the east but again I never found any break in the twin electric fences. Once across them it was a pleasant decent to Meall Mor where the gradient increased but there was no difficulties. Lower down the ground was a bit wet before I joined the vehicle track used on the outward route and returned to my car.
The Cobbler21 July 2007
It was a fairly cloudy morning as I headed for the Arrochar Alps but at least the cloud was above the summit tops. At the end of the forest on the east side of the A83 in Glen Croe, I found a small parking area which was capable of holding around five vehicles. It was empty when I arrived. A path, wet and boggy in places, was followed up the south side of the stream that flowed between The Cobbler and Beinn Luibhean. Higher up the path followed a tributary that headed towards the bealach east of the summit of The Cobbler. It wasn’t necessary to go to the bealach so I headed directly to the crag which is the highest point on The Cobbler. Two other guys were already on the crag but had decided against going to the actual top. I climbed onto the crag, crawled through a hole and onto the top of the rock where I had a 360 degree view. Once I had descended the crag I had a coffee break and watched a few walkers climb to the summit of The Cobbler. Others decided the short climb wasn't for them. The descent was by the upward route although I did shorten it by cutting across the hillside. On my return the car park was full but I hadn't seen many walkers on my descent route.
Beinn Tulaichean and Cruach Ardrain20 July 2007
I met my client, Linda, in Lochearnhead and we drove south on the A84 to the Kingshouse Hotel and thereafter along the unclassified road passed Balquhidder to the car park just east of Inverlochlarig Farm. We walked along the farm road, crossed the Inverlochlarig Burn by a bridge and took the signposted route up the side of the stream. The path was very wet and muddy but it soon joined the vehicle track that headed up Inverlochlarig Glen. We soon left this track and headed uphill towards Beinn Tulaichean. The hillside was fairly wet and boggy underfoot and higher up the vegetation was almost knee deep which meant for wet trousers. The cloud base was fairly low, around 400 metres, so it was just the sake of seeking the best route through the vegetation trying to avoid large areas of bracken and some rocky ground. Higher up the walking was easier with the shorter grass and at times there were traces of a path. Where possible we followed these paths which eventually led to the summit cairn of Beinn Tulaichean. There was no advantage in remaining at the summit as there were no views and the visibility was still poor so we descended Beinn Tulaichean’s north-west ridge following a path which continued to the summit of Cruach Ardrain. Here we stopped for lunch and were joined by a chap from Orkney who had ascended Cruach Ardrain from the west. He was on his third round of Munros. We returned to the bealach between Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean and descended east down the hillside, avoiding a few gullies, and lower down we came out of the cloud. Route finding was now easier as we headed for the vehicle track in Inverlochlarig Glen which was followed to the farm and the short stroll to the car park.
Ben Vorlich - A Final Munro1 July 2007
After over 4 years of guiding Laila to the summit of more than one hundred Munros, in all weather conditions, Ben Vorlich was to be her final Munro. Latterly, due to her age, it had been a bit of a struggle as she had left the harder and remoter Munros to last. However she was a determined lady who had set her mind on finishing albeit a year or so later than planned. Unfortunately the enjoyment of climbing the Munros had got a bit lost in the struggle to finish. Laila, Shona, Fraser and I met at Inveruglas on the west shore of Loch Lomond where there was a large car park beside the Visitor Centre. We walked south on a path along the west side of the A82 to the start of the private road to Loch Sloy dam and followed this tarred road to just south of the dam. The tops of the mountains were mostly cloud covered but it was fairly humid in the glen. A small cairn marked the start of a walker’s path into the corrie below the south ridge of Ben Vorlich. The path was wet in places and disappeared on occasions in the newly grown grass, although it appeared later that lower down there was more than a single path towards the corrie. Higher up the path was more evident. Laila was a bit reserved and didn’t want to consider her success until she had reached the summit of Ben Vorlich. En-route onto the ridge it started to rain which meant donning the rain gear but the shower was short lived. Eventually we reached the south ridge and followed it north towards the summit with a couple of breaks in the cloud to give us some brief views. It was a fairly gentle stroll, in the low cloud, towards the summit trig point and a short distance further on to the cairn marking the highest point on Ben Vorlich. Shona and Fraser set up a 'guard of honour' with their walking poles as Laila approached the summit cairn and then it was congratulations to Laila on her achievement. A few photographs were taken assisted by another walker. Shona and Fraser produced the champagne and cake for the summit party and a few more walkers appeared at the cairn and one joined in the celebrations. The weather improved during the summit party and eventually we had views of some of the Arrochar Alps and of Loch Sloy. However the summit photos had already been taken so they couldn't be reinacted. After some time at the summit we commenced the descent by the upward route and from the south ridge of Ben Vorlich we had views over the south end of Loch Lomond. On returning to our vehicles we were invited by Laila to tea and cake nearby where Laila presented me with a framed certificate for guiding her during the past four years. Laila intends to keep walking but at a lower level and without setting herself any targets. She later notified me that she had registered her completion with the Scottish Mountaineering Club and was Munroist number 3843.
Beinns Luibhean, Ime and Narnain.20 April 2007
The plan was to climb the Corbett, Beinn Luibhean and the Munros Beinns Ime and Narnain from the A83 Arrochar to Inveraray road just east of Butterbridge and descend to Arrochar. To facilitate this we left a car in the pay and display car park near Succoth, just west of Arrochar. We left the A83, south-west of Butterbribge, and followed a path, passed a ruin, and up the side of a burn towards the Bealach a’Mhargaidh. Before reaching this bealach we headed up the east ridge of Beinn Luibhean, through some rocks, to the summit cairn. It was rather chilly on the summit with occasional breaks in the cloud so we didn’t linger long before descending to Bealach a’Mhargaidh. From this wide bealach we commenced the ascent of Beinn Ime taking what appeared to be the easiest climb until we reached a path which led to the summit cairn. The trig point no longer exists. There were no views but we were able to find some shelter to have lunch. The descent initially followed a path which appeared to disappear in some soft and boggy terrain and in low cloud I had to correct my descent route to reach the fence and gate at the Bealach a’Mhaim. This was followed by the ascent of Beinn Narnain with the low cloud breaking up for a few minutes before we were engulfed again. Beinn Narnain’s summit trig point was reached but there was a cold wind blowing and visibility was poor. We commenced the descent initially having to search for the gully to go down and thereafter a rough, and lower down boggy, path was followed. We emerged from the cloud and followed the path to the car park near Succoth. This is where the problems started. We commenced the return journey along the shore of Loch Long on the A83 to collect my car but we were soon stopped by the Police as the road was closed due to a chemical spill. Norman offered to drive the diversionary route but this would have involved a one way trip of over 55 miles. I decided to walk the track through the forest, by-passing the chemical spill, and along the road to my car, a distance of approximately 11 kilometres. Shona, my other client had left personal items in my car so she was forced to join me on our second hike of the day. After well over an hour of walking and attempting to hitch a lift from the few vehicle’s using this route we eventually got a lift which we were very appreciative of.
Uamh Bheag11 February 2007
The previous day’s heavy snow had taken a bit of shift after some overnight rain and milder temperatures. With this in mind and the possibility that the snow higher up would be rather wet making for some tough walking I decided to climb this Graham rather than some of the higher mountains. I drove up the road signposted to Bracklinn Falls from the main A84 road that runs through Callander. Once beyond the houses the road became single track and passed the car park for the Falls. I continued along this public road to a parking area at the northern end of the forest. Here a track took me down to the bridge over the Keltie Water and into the forest. I continued along the snow covered track to a ‘T’ junction and took the higher path out of the forest. It was a bit colder and windier here and the vehicle track had a good walking surface although it was still covered in a few patches of wet snow. There was also evidence that a vehicle had been along the track, probably the previous day. The track soon dropped slightly to cross an unnamed stream before rising again on a gradual gradient. It passed close to what must have been an old farm named Leathan Dhail but there is only a large hut and some sheep pens left there now. The vehicle track continued up the north-west side of Meall Leathan Dhail and into the cloud the base of which had lowered. There was a lot of drifting snow on the south-east side of the track with evidence of sheep having tried to get through. I eventually came to the end of the track as shown on the map. I was surprised that it did end at this point as frequently tracks continue beyond what is shown on the map as the estate gradually extend them. From this point I crossed some rough ground with the hollows concealed by wet snow. It was around two kilometres from the end of the vehicle track to the summit of Uamh Beag but it was to be tough going. The first section involved a slight descent to a stream where there was a fence to cross as well. On the other side of the fence there were some sheep and they had made various trails through the snow. I tried to utilise them as I followed a bearing set for the summit. It wasn’t always possible to stay on the bearing as there were lots of snow drifts to avoid. I had to try and find the easiest route round them and at the same time try to remain in the correct direction as visibility was poor and I could only see around 25 metres. I eventually came to another fence, which possibly led to the summit but it wasn’t going in the correct direction. I had my GPS with me to confirm my position. To be honest that is all I ever use the GPS for as I haven’t learned how the other functions work. My bearing led to a slight drop before continuing the ascent of Uamh Bheag. The snow was a bit drier and was beginning to hold my weight. I still tried to avoid the drifts but they were becoming more frequent and I had to climb over them. Visibility was even poorer now and at one point it was difficult to tell what was snow and what was cloud. The snow and cloud gave the impression that it was going to be a rocky approach to the summit but in fact it was just wind swept stones. This part of the ascent was sheltered and I had thought about having lunch on the summit. Out of the cloud appeared a fence which was coated in snow and ice and nearby was the cairn which marked the highest point of Uamh Bheag. Three fences in fact met at this point. It started to rain just as I arrived on the summit so I about turned and headed back down the hill. This was a lot easier than the ascent as I just followed my bootprints. Lower down I did stop in the rain for something to eat as the cloud had lifted briefly. Nearer the path some of my bootprints had disappeared as the snow had melted. On reaching the path I followed it back to the start. I eventually cleared the cloud and had views over towards the Campsies where it was brightening up. Ben Vorlich was also visible although the summit was still in cloud. I am told that Uamh Bheag is a tough mountain to ascend due to the terrain so the snow and poor visibility just added to the challenge.
Stob Breac10 February 2007
This walk meant a return to Inverlochlarig which had been the starting point for the ascent of Stob Binnein five days earlier. (see below) On that occasion the weather had been sunny with a cold wind and some good views but this morning it was cloudy and windy with sleet, and snow above 200 metres. There is a car park just east of Inverlochlarig, accessed by a single track road from Balquhidder along the northern shores of Lochs Voil and Doine. Balquhidder itself is a few miles west of the A84 Strathyre to Lochearnhead Road. We left the car park and walked along the vehicle track towards Blaircreich Farm crossing the River Larig by a bridge before passing an old house, now empty, which was not shown on the map. Just beyond this house a track left the farm road and headed into the forest. There was a locked six foot high gate but a stile to its west afforded access. The track had a light covering of wet snow which made it slippery but as height was gained the snow was drier and there was a more substantial covering. At a junction we took the track heading south up Glen Sgionie. It was snowing and a bit windy with some blowing snow. There were lots of animal tracks but we never saw the culprits. We continued up Glen Sgionie for around half an hour until we came to what appeared to be a suitable fire break in the forest. Here we left the forest track and headed uphill through the firebreak. It was very sheltered here and we stopped for a short break as the weather conditions higher up wouldn’t permit a snack halt. Thereafter we continued up the fire break to the edge of the forest at around 450 metres. It was still snowing and on leaving the protection of the forest we were confronted with the wind and some spin drift. We continued in the same direction and arrived on the south ridge of Stob Breac around one kilometre from its summit. However it was very windy here with lots of blowing snow and visibility was reduced due to the low cloud. It was hard going in the cross wind especially at the cols and progress was very slow. There were some snow drifts which were already knee deep. I was measuring the distance travelled by pacing as timing wouldn't have worked due to the wind slowing us down and at times bringing us to a halt. My fellow walker was operating a GPS, a useful tool in these conditions, as there were several knolls to cross. I had a record of the grid reference for the summit which was needed. Eventually we reached what we agreed was the summit, a rock on top of a knoll. The GPS confirmed this as it was impossible to tell by the white wilderness around us. We returned along the south ridge but only as far as a peaty and wind swept col. It was decided that at this point we would leave the ridge rather that fight against the wind and blowing snow and headed down the side of a stream. However as is common in the mountains the wind and snow were coming from various directions with lots of spin drift. There were some rocky outcrops to avoid but we reached the top end of the forest beside a fire break. This fire break was a bit steeper and rougher that the one we had used earlier but at least we were out of the wind and spin drift. The fire break was followed to the track but the majority of our bootprints had been covered by fresh snow. There were some animal tracks and we eventually spotted a red deer which disappeared into the forest. This was the only wild life we saw other than a robin at the start pf the walk that had decided to have a look in my car. We followed the track back to the car park but it must have been a degree or two milder as some of the snow on the lower section of the forest track had turned to slush. Stob Breac is only a Graham, but despite that the wind and wintry conditions made it rather hard going and as tough as some higher mountains that I have climbed.
Stob Binnein5 February 2007
Stob Binnein can be climbed from Glen Banchor in the north and include Ben More in the ascent or from the south near Inverlochlarig Farm. My client had already climbed Ben More in winter conditions so it was decided that the southern approach would be more suitable. Inverlochlarig Farm is accessed along a single track road from Balquhidder which is just west of the A84 Strathyre to Lochearnhead road. There is a car park just over half a kilometre east of Inverlochlarig Farm on the south side of the road. From the car park we crossed the road and a stile and headed steeply uphill following a walker’s path which was eroded in places. It was a frosty morning, the sun was shinning and visibility was good. There were only a few patches of snow on the surrounding mountains. On the ascent we spotted a number of deer before reaching another stile higher up. Above this stile the ascent was slightly steeper before the path crossed below Stob Invercarnaig and headed for an unnamed knoll. Here there was an icy wind but we managed to find some shelter for a break before continuing. The next section of the walk was on more level terrain with some patches of snow on the eastern corries. Further on we climbed the ridge shown on the map as Na Staidhrichean before ascending the Munro Top, Stob Coire an Lochain. After a short descent with more lying snow, all of which we managed to avoid, we made the final ascent to Stob Binnein. The area surrounding this Munro was covered in hoar frost and the wind was very cold. However visibility was very good and we had good views down Loch Tay, over to the Ben Lawers range and of Ben Lui to mention a few. We spent a while taking in the views before we returned by the route of ascent making a couple of stops en route, one for a late lunch. There was more high cloud by now but the weather was still superb for a winter walk in February.
Stob Coire Creagach4 February 2007
This mountain is unnamed on the Ordnance Survey map but appears to have been given the name Stob Coire Creagach. However it is also known as Binnein an Fhidhleir although this is also the name of the summit about 1.5 kilometres further west, which is lower by six metres. The start of the walk was the A83 Arrochar to Inveraray Road just east of the farm at Butterbridge where there is a large car parking area on the south side of the road. Diagonally opposite this car park is the start of the estate road up Glen Kinglas. We left the car in the car park, crossed the road but instead of heading up the estate road we passed through a gate into an area of forest regeneration and followed a fence uphill. It was a fairly steep grassy climb, wet in places, which eventually led to a stile and beyond that some crags. Up to this point there was evidence of a path being created through the vegetation but not so higher up. The hillside was engulfed in low cloud but a grassy gully was found and this led through the crags and eventually the gradient eased. The angle of ascent increased again and led to some more crags and in the limited visibility a bit of searching was required to find a way through. There was now a bit of a breeze with some particles of sleet and snow. However other than a couple of small patches the mountain was devoid of snow. The summit cairn was eventually reached but it was cold and windy. We used a bivy shelter and had an early lunch before descending the west ridge hoping that the cloud would break. The intention had been to continue to Binnein an Fhidhleir for the views to the west but the cloud wasn't going to break up so prior to the ascent of Binnein an Fhidhleir we turned south and headed downhill where we spotted three stags before they disappeared into the cloud. The cloud appeared to be very variable. It was low over the A83 and blowing up the Glen while Beinn an Lochain on the south side of the road was clear in places, even higher up. Eventually we came to the deer fence, followed it to the A83 before walking along this road to the car park, in the rain.
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