Hills & Mountains

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park

The Arrochar Alps

*I am in the process of redesigning this section to include notes and many more high-res shots*

The Arrochar Alps contain five principle mountains which are concentrated in the angle between Loch Long and Glen Croe. Four of these are Munros, but the the Cobbler at 884 metres is not only the best known but has the most striking topography. The Munros of the group are Beinn Narnain, Ben Ime, Ben Vane and Ben Vorlich with the last pair being more often tackled from Loch Lomondside.

The Arrochar Alps from Ben Lomond: From left to right, the Cobbler, Beinn an Lochain, Beinn Narnain and Ben Ime.

I`ve also climbed some of the other Arrochar peaks including The Brack, Ben Donich, Beinn an Lochain, Beinn Luibhean and Binnein an Fhidleir, all of which can compete with their higher neighbours with regard to dramatic scenery and rugged topography, and can prove just as challenging in winter. Other summits more readily ascended from Lochgoilhead and those situated on the Cowal peninsula, including Beinn Bheula, are covered in the Cowal Hills section.

The peaks of the Arrochar Alps and Ben Lomond seen from Fynloch Hill in the Kilpatricks.

Arrochar

Arrochar info* incl railway WHL

One extraordinary historical incident, not well known, is that Arrochar and Tarbert were the locations that featured in the tale of the only German spy executed on British soil during the Great War. An Admiralty Torpedo Range has existed on Loch Long since 1912, and it was this facility that became the target of Augusto Alfredo Roggen, a Uruguayan and son of a German national born in 1881, who returned to Germany and later married a German woman. He had a good command of the English language and was not easily identifiable as a German citizen so the Kaiser was obviously keen to put his sympathies and attributes to good use.

In May 1915, Roggen sailed to Tilbury Docks from Rotterdam and made his way to Edinburgh, his cover being that he was a farmer on business with an interest in agricultural vehicles. He had registered with police as required on arrival in the UK but the security services didn`t believe his story and monitored his movements while making various discrete enquiries. Claiming to enjoy fishing, although he no rod or gear, Roggen travelled to Tarbet, arriving there on 9 June and took a room at the hotel of the same name. Within hours he had purchased a map of the local area, which included the then restricted military zone, immediately arousing suspicion in the tiny community.

A raid was organised from Helensburgh Police Office and officers swooped on the hotel. A search of  Roggen`s room revealed a loaded Browning revolver with 50 rounds of ammunition, invisible ink, and a list of contacts. He was placed in handcuffs and transported London. Roggen declined to make a statement at his court martial, was found guilty and subsequently sentenced to death by firing squad. The sentence was carried out at 06:00 hrs on 17 September 1915, at the Tower of London, by men of the 3rd Battalion, Scots Guards.

The torpedo range remained operational until 1986 and now very little evidence of it remains. The shots above were taken in October 2010. Sections of the pier may still be visible but most of the associated buildings have been burnt to the ground or dismantled. Unsurprisingly, peak testing activity took place during the Second World War when more than 12,000 torpedoes were logged as having been fired down the loch in 1944 alone. Torpedoes would be launched without warheads at floating targets and, rather than actually strike the targets which would prove costly long-term, the torpedoes were programmed to pass underneath then rise to the surface for recovery. Many sank to the bottom, however, and are still found by divers exploring the loch.

The Cobbler (Ben Arthur)

THE COBBLER (884m)

Various dates

The three jagged, rocky peaks of the Cobbler form a spectacular and distinctive skyline when seen from Arrochar on the shores of Loch Long or the hills to the east. Although it doesn`t reach Munro height, the Cobbler has long been one of Scotland`s best-known mountains, popular with hillwalkers and rock climbers alike. The centre peak is the actual summit although the north and south peaks look more daunting. 

I`ve been up on the Cobbler quite a few times over the years but have never yet made the effort to climb the South Peak which calls for tricky scrambling. Most ascents have been from the loch shore to the south but I`ve also started from halfway up the Rest-and-Be-Thankful road, a route that gets you onto the summit ridge quickly but there`s not much to look at on the way up. Another variation was when a few mates and I got to the top by scaling a gully which ends below the North Peak. Huge boulders form a tunnel-like ending to the climb but the ground was sodden and the vegetation quite loose. 

text*

The standard view of the Cobbler from The-Rest-and-be-Thankful car park.

The rugged terrain of the Arrochar Alps enables local Mountain Rescue Teams to practice their search and rescue techniques, often in extreme conditions more often associated with the Swiss Alps or other higher European ranges. During this exercise an avalanche had actually occurred on the Cobbler which was ideal for putting the SARDA dogs through their paces.

Beinn Narnain

Beinn Narnain, despite appearances from Loch Long, is a very rugged mountain with impressive cliffs and crags on its upper slopes. One imposing block of rock just before the summit is known as the Spearhead and appears to bar progress but it can be bypassed with some mild scrambling. The Bealach a` Mhaim lies to the northwest and makes it easy (in clear weather) to combine Narnain with Ben Ime and / or the Cobbler. A` Chrois, almost 2 kilometres to the northeast, has been designated Narnain`s subsidiary top but it has all the characteristics of a separate mountain. The above view shows Beinn Narnain on the left and Ben Ime. ​Below is a distant view of Beinn Narnain (centre) from the south. The Brack, the nearest peak, is in shadow with the rocky Cobbler to the left of Narnain. Ben More and Stob Binnein are the snow-capped peaks on the right.

BEINN NARNAIN (926m)

December 1989 

A drizzly day. It was raining when we left the van at the side of Loch Long and still raining at ground level when we finished. Near the summit of Narnain we were surprised to break through the clouds to see a broken thin layer of cloud, well above the summits. Below were fingers of rain clouds covering the lower ground and masses of cloud boiling up below The Cobbler. 

Two of our group, Ian (left) and Stevie (right) were always on the lookout for quartzite boulders to enhance the appearance of their rockeries! They can be seen here selecting the latest additions. They usually had to empty their rucksacks and distribute kit amongst their companions to accommodate the back-breaking stones which they carried all the way back down to the car park - that`s what you call being keen landscape gardeners!

These shots show a Mountain Rescue exercise taking place near the summit of Beinn Narnain. A handler can be seen testing the harness of his search dog at Arrochar prior to boarding the Sea King helicopter that took the team to the incident site. Dogs, like human team members, often have to be lowered onto the hillside if adverse weather or difficult terrain prevents a landing so it`s always advisable to check the dog`s harness before jumping on  board.

Back in the days when the Royal Navy had Sea Kings and photographers were using 35mm film, one of my ascents of Beinn Narnain coincided with a Mountain Rescue training exercise near the summit. These shots are rather poor quality scans from Kodachrome slides.

The playing fields behind Arrochar Primary School in the village was where rescue choppers would meet the local mountain rescue team on call-outs and lift them onto the hill, weather permitting of course. The shots below, copied from poorly exposed 35mm slides, were taken on an earlier occasion when the teacher had to abandon lessons temporarily while the kids peered through the windows, engrossed in monitoring the action. 

Ben Ime

A telephoto view of Ben Ime from Ben Lomond.

BEN IME (1011m)

11 March 1986

A pal and I started from Butterbridge on our first ascent. Conditions very poor, wet snow, high winds and clouds low down on the hill. No view whatsoever. 

BEN IME (1011m)
​
January 1991 

From Butterbridge as before, but accompanied by several workmates, one of whom brought his wee dug. Rather than making a direct slog though, we went up via the bealach between our objective and Beinn Luibhean, far rockier and more interesting than the most popular route.

​As we neared the summit gaps in the clouds started to appear and views opened up towards the `T` Junction of Loch  Lomond and Loch Arklet. There were also glimpses over to Beinn Luibhean triangular summit and the A82 below. 

Ben Ime (centre) from Stob Coire Creagach,

BEN IME (1011m)
​
Date not recorded
​

I was accompanied by a different pal, Davy B, who hadn`t climbed a Munro in winter. Conditions poor with lots of wet snow underfoot. We took the standard way up from Butterbridge and made good time despite the conditions. No view from the cairn but my companion really enjoyed his day. The following shot of Ben Ime was taken from Loch Lomond`s eastern shore above Inversnaid. A Fort William-bound ScotRail Sprinter train heads for Ardlui Station, the next stop.

Beinn Luibhean

BEINN LUIBHEAN (858m)

​Date not recorded

The Brack

THE BRACK (787m)

Various Dates

The Brack from the A83 at the foot of the Rest-and-be-Thankful.

Although the Brack`s lower slopes are heavily forested, the descent can be varied by descending the plantation-free southwest ridge and joining the Ardgartan to Lochgoilhead track which leads down Coilessan Glen and follows the Loch Long shore back to the starting point. A longer option if suitable transport is available is to walk all the way to Lochgoilhead village. I`ve climbed this peak several times over the years but didn`t note the dates.

​The complex terrain of the Brack`s upper reaches make the peak an ideal training ground for Mountain Rescue Teams. Here, members carry equipment to the head of a steep gully to practice evacuating casualties by stretcher. These shots are all copies of 35mm 6x4 prints.

Ben Donich

BEN DONICH (847m)

Dates Not Recorded

Looking towards the Rest-and-be-Thankful peaks from the head of Loch Goil.

​Although Ben Donich is a grassier hill than the Brack there are several deep rock fissures (below) near the summit which pose a serious hazard when snow covers the ground. An unwary walker could easily fall in and become jammed in one of the cracks and, if unaccompanied, self-rescue could be extremely difficult. The view below right, was taken near Lochgoilhead village. Ben Donich is on the right with the Cobbler in the centre.

Beinn Bhuela 

BEINN BHEULA (779m) - See the Cowal Hills Section

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Beinn an Lochain

BEINN AN LOCHAIN (901m)

Various dates

Beinn an Lochain rises steeply above Loch Restil at the head of Glen Croe and can be easily ascended from the Rest-and-be-Thankful car park. Rather than a steep slog from this location, a longer but more interesting alternative is to climb the mountain via its north-east ridge from Butterbridge. This route is steep and narrow in places and an ascent made under winter conditions gives the impression of real mountaineering.

Beinn an Lochain was once classed as a Munro however, it has long since been reclassified as a Corbett. I`ve climbed this hill about ten times over the years in all weathers and all seasons. I first attempted it in winter, on my own, and set off later than normal. I headed into cloud almost immediately as I plodded up the northeast ridge. Conditions were very poor with high winds, driving snow and lots of wet slush underfoot. I made good progress but decided it unwise to push on to the very top. 

My quickest ascent was in October 1993. In driving rain and gale force winds, several of us left the van beside the A83 at the north end of Loch Restil and reached the summit in 1 hr 15 minutes. A break in the clouds revealed a `V` formation of geese high above. The birds flew parallel with the summit ridge then banked away over Beinn Luibhean on the opposite side of the glen.

In this shot, taken from Ben Donich, A Royal Navy Sea King from HMS Gannet flies below the flanks of Beinn an Lochain on a training sortie.

Beinn an Lochain`s summit has a dusting of snow in this view taken from the Luss Hills in late October.

Ben Vane

BEN VANE (915m)  

Sunday 27 April 1986

I climbed this hill for the first time with a pal, taking the most popular route up from the private road in Coiregrogain. An excellent spring day with some snow still on the tops. The above shot of the Loch Sloy dam and Ben Vorlich is a scan from a 35mm print.

BEN VANE (915m)
​
Friday 8 October 1993

A workmate and I set off from the tourist car park opposite Sloy Power Station and again took the Coiregrogain approach. Despite a cloudy start it soon cleared and there was a brief glimpse of a Brocken Spectre near the summit. There was also a welcome sighting of a flock of five or six Ring Ouzels - the `Mountain Blackbird`. We had intended to `do` Ben Ime too but after starting off along the connecting southeast ridge decided to call it a day. We met an English hillwalker on the track back and sat talking to him for a while while we boiled up some tea and finished off our sandwiches.

Ben Vane from Loch Arklet. Loch Lomond is hidden in the intervening dip.

Ben Vorlich

The bulk of Ben Vorlich can be fully appreciated when seen from Ben Lomond on the opposite side of the loch.

​BEN VORLICH (943m)  

Various dates

I`ve climbed Ben Vorlich several times, mostly in winter, since my first ascent in the early 1980s but didn`t record any of  the dates. I`ve always started from Sloy (above), parking at the Inveruglas Visitor Centre which is fine if you get there early, or are climbing outwith the peak season. Otherwise, parking spaces can soon fill-up as this location`s a popular stop with motorists and coach operators. Tour boats also leave from here.

A pipeline from Loch Sloy has been driven through the heart of Ben Vorlich to transfer water from the reservoir to the power station at Inveruglas. When it began operation in 1950, the Loch Sloy hydro-electric scheme was one of the great civil engineering projects of its time. The dam across the south end of the loch is linked with a system of aqueducts and tunnels that increased Sloy`s natural water gathering capacity by five times and raised its water level by almost 50 metres.

Understandably, there were numerous objections to the project when it was proposed, one of the main concerns being the enduring scars on the landscape and, with regard to the power station itself, an alien industrial complex spoiling an area of great scenic beauty. To counter this it was argued that the lower slopes of Ben Vorlich at this point are not particularly attractive and in any case any visible pipes would be camouflaged by painting and additional tree planting. As can be seen here in this photograph, they`ve still to get round to it! (add pic)*

Ben Vorlich from Ben Lomond`s `tourist path` on a fine January morning.

Binnein an Fhidleir (Stob Coire Creagach)

BINNEIN AN FHIDLEIR (817m)​

​Various Dates

This is a very long mountain with several tops, the highest point being Stob Coire Creagach, the peak of the craggy corrie, although it`s not named on Ordnance Survey maps. Binnein an Fhidhleir, Fiddler`s Peak, is the name given to a top that lies approx 1.5 kilometres to the west and this name is commonly used when referring to the whole peak - probably because it`s easier to say! 

Rather than slogging up steep slopes to the main top directly from the car park at Butterbridge I prefer to walk along Glen Kinglas (left), following a track for almost 3 km, then climb the eastern flanks and backtrack along the northeast ridge.

I`ve climbed this hill several times, always in winter and never been disappointed. It tends to be overlooked by the majority of walkers but it`s an excellent high-level route. 

​Beinn an Lochain appears as a pyramid, the  Cobbler is seen from an unfamiliar angle and the full bulk of Beinn Bhuidhe can be appreciated.

The ridge from Binnein` can be followed right to the shore of Loch Fyne and a welcome pint at the Cairndow Inn. Don`t get too comfy though - it`s a long walk back for the car! The shot below, taken soon after starting along the Glen Kinglas track, looks back to the Butterbridge parking area with Beinn an Lochain in the background.

The east side of Glen Kinglas ​(above) with deer in the upper reaches of Coire Creagach below.

Below: Looking towards the north end of Glen Kinglas from Stob Coire Creagach. This glen, not to be confused with the Loch Etive Glen Kinglass, forms part of a challenging low-level route from the Rest-and-Be-Thankful to Inveruglas on Loch Lomondside. If transport isn`t a problem at the other end, walkers can follow the Glen Kinglas track until it terminates near the north end of Loch Sloy. From there, a line of electricity pylons is followed over rough ground to reach the dam and paved road that leads to Inveruglas. 

I`ve walked this route only once, many years ago and from what I can remember it was a bit of a slog. The lonely ruins of a cottage, curiously named Abyssinia, lie in Glen Kinglas, and can be seen from the track. I`ve been unable to find anything about it`s history, or how it came to have such an unusual  name, but I`d guess that it may have been built, or at least occupied by a retired military man who saw service in that country, perhaps in the 1800 or early 1900s. 

Binnein an Fhidhleir is on the left and the rugged summit block of Beinn an Lochain rises above the long ridge on the right.

The above shot, includes Dunderave Castle which sits near the head of Loch Fyne, on its northern shore, approximately 6 km east of Inveraray.  The structure is almost totally screened by trees and easily missed by travellers on the A83 Arrochar to Lochgilphead road. The stronghold dates from the 16th century and was occupied by the MacNaughtons and later the Campbell Clan but by the early 19th century the castle lay abandoned and roofless. In 1911, however, the well-known Edinburgh born architect Sir Robert Lorimer, noted for his restoration work on historic buildings, was commissioned to renovate the castle and make it suitable for habitation. Dunderave Castle is still occupied but is not open to the public.

As previously mentioned, Beinn an Lochain looks like an Alpine peak when viewed from the north.

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