Hills & Mountains
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
*I am in the process of redesigning this section to include notes and many more high-res shots*
Other Munros & Lower Hills
Included here is Bheinn Bhuidhe, which lies to the west of the Arrochar Alps, and the Glen Falloch Munros etc (plus Corbett*?) including Cruach Ardrain. Click here for ben More & Stob Binnein etc* Plus, Ben Challum, which lies on the north side of Strath Fillan (?) between Crianlarich and Tyndrum etc. Name?, Munros to the east of Crianlarich are also included.*
Beinn Bhuidhe
Bheinn Bhuidhe is an long, isolated Munro and its bulk separates the upper reaches of Glens Fyne and Shira. The normal approach is made along the private road leading to the cottage of Inverchorachan, via Glenfyne Lodge. The road up Glen Fyne is rough in places but outwith the stalking season cars can be left beside a Hydro-Electric Board power station beyond the lodge, thus shortening the walk-in by several kilometres.
BEINN BHUIDHE (948m)
Wednesday 19 November 1986
A clear morning but cloud moved in quickly and the rain came on soon after a pal and I started walking. A gain in altitude turned the rain to snow and it became a slushy slog across the two-kilometre stretch of peat hags which lead to the final 1,000 feet or so. Even although the mountain`s two-mile long summit ridge would be impossible to miss, the poor visibility made it hard to believe that there was such bulk straight ahead. When we reached the trig` point it stopped snowing but despite brief glimpses of blue above us the cloud failed to clear and we got no views of the surrounding terrain.
Wednesday 19 November 1986
A clear morning but cloud moved in quickly and the rain came on soon after a pal and I started walking. A gain in altitude turned the rain to snow and it became a slushy slog across the two-kilometre stretch of peat hags which lead to the final 1,000 feet or so. Even although the mountain`s two-mile long summit ridge would be impossible to miss, the poor visibility made it hard to believe that there was such bulk straight ahead. When we reached the trig` point it stopped snowing but despite brief glimpses of blue above us the cloud failed to clear and we got no views of the surrounding terrain.
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BEINN BHUIDHE (948m)
Late 1988 (exact date not recorded) Climbed this hill again, this time along with a group of workmates on a wild, wintry and very windy day. Several of us spent a while digging a large snow hole in a steep gully, practising our emergency survival skills. |
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BEINN BHUIDHE (948m)
December 1992
December 1992
Above: John K catches his breath at the cairn as the last of the clouds blow clear.
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A second outing here with a group from work. On the way up Glen Fyne, our hired van ran over a metal spike on the track and punctured a tyre. As often happens, usually when you`re miles from anywhere, we found that there was no jack on board! At least there was a spare wheel so a jack was hastily improvised consisting of several large boulders, and a dead tree trunk, at the end of which several volunteers balanced precariously. They raised the van just enough for a quick wheel swap and, having already obtained permission to park further up the glen, we continued on our way quite chuffed with our ingenuity.
The sky was particularly stormy initially with dark clouds boiling up below Beinn an Lochain. This deer appeared on a ridge-line making a dramatic silhouette. It got much brighter as we climbed onto the plateau via a snow ramp and there was a heavy frost underfoot. Any remaining clouds were blown over the summit ridge with one holding a Brocken Spectre. |
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Beinn Bhuidhe from the west end of Meall an Fhudair, Friday 1 March 2002. (Image from 35mm colour print).
Meall an Fhudair
MEALL AN FHUDAIR (764m)
TROISGEACH (733m)
Date Not Recorded
TROISGEACH (733m)
Date Not Recorded
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Meall an Fhudair and its lower and more often climbed neighbour Troisgeach form an extensive and relatively featureless mass of high ground between Glen Fyne and the south end of Glen Falloch. Troisgeach, at he east end of the long, broad ridge makes a popular short outing for its fine views down the narrow north end of Loch Lomond and towards the seldom seen `back end` of Ben Lui and its neighbours.
Navigation can prove tricky when the mist is down due to the nature of the terrain, but if clear it`s worth continuing to the main summit which is also an excellent vantage point. Ben More (below) looks particularly impressive from here. These rather low quality shots are scans from prints . |
Glen Falloch
The long narrow pass of Glen Falloch runs northwards from the top end of Loch Lomond for almost 13km (8 miles) to Crianlarch which sits at the junction of Strath Fillan and Glen Dochart. A left turn takes travellers, whether by road or rail, to Oban or Fort William with the Perth and Stirling road coming in from the east. Unfortunately the railway coming in from this direction was closed decades ago.
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Two mountain groups border Glen Falloch, one on either side, The Tyndrum group to the west and the Crianlarich group to the east. (LINKS*).
The River Falloch tumbles steeply southwards over a series of waterfalls which are impressive when in spate, thought the glen, the southern end of which is heavily wooded. Despite their proximity to the road and railway line, with the exception of Beinn Dubhchraig, the tops of the mountains are all screened by lower slopes. The four Tyndrum peaks, the others being Ben Oss, Ben Lui and Beinn a` Chleibh (LINK*) can be climbed from lower Glen Falloch by following the Dubh Eas burn, or via the Fionn Ghlinne which is entered opposite the Falls of Falloch. It should be mentioned, however, that neither of these routes is potentially as scenic as the standard approach along the Cononish from Tyndrum or Dalrigh. BEINN CHABHAIR (933m) AN CAISTEAL (995m) BEINN A` CHROIN (942m) BEINN TULAICHEAN (946m) CRUACH ARDRAIN (1046m) |
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Beinn Chabhair
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BEINN CHABHAIR (933m)
Friday 12 December 1986 BEINN CHABHAIR (933m)
Thursday 26 January 2012 |
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Inverarnan Hotel / Drovers Inn info*
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The Drovers has a reputation for a colourful clientele - even some of the staff over the years were real characters, and the inn is rumoured to be one of the most haunted hotels in Britain! Room 6 is supposedly good for spooky goings-on. If you wander in and are greeted by this lot, don`t worry - it`ll (probably) just be Halloween! Any cobwebs are likely to be real though - the place hasn`t been dusted since it opened in 1705!
Check out the official website for more information, not only on the the inn itself, but for the story behind some of its resident ghosts: www.droversinn.co.uk.
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Many oversees visitors are relieved to discover that the Grizzly Bear, Wolf and Great White Shark on display in the foyer along with the stuffed pheasants and stags etc aren`t resident Scottish species, although the Haggis were caught on the hills behind the inn.
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Beinn Chabhair second ascent info*
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Above right: On the plateau, looking back towards the top of the Beinn Ghlas Falls. The only views taken of the hill on the way up are shown below. Visibility decreased rapidly during the climb and there was no view whatsoever from the top.
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Beinn a` Chroin
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BEINN A` CHROIN (942m)
NAME? Dates? |
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This is the Great Marquess No.61994 powering up the final incline in Glen Falloch before stopping at Crianlarich to take on water. The steam loco was operating on a Great Britain V rail tour and any excursions with steam engines draw a large number enthusiasts and general spectators, many trying to photograph the train against the spectacular West Highland scenery.
Cruach Ardrain
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CRUACH ARDRAIN (1046m)
Stob Garbh (959m) Sunday 23 February 1986 Wednesday 18 May 1988 |
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Cruach Ardrain towers above Crianlarich Railway Station.
Ben Challum
Walkers head towards the main summit from Beinn Challum`s South Top.
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BEN CHALLUM (1025m)
Saturday 10 January 1987 Thursday 2 January 2003 info* Climbed twice |
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Above left: After climbing Ben Lui, two walkers head back towards Tyndrum on the Cononish track. Beinn Challum forms the backdrop. The view on the right shows Beinn Challum, with its well-defined twin tops, seen from Beinn Chuirn, to the southwest, on a fine winter`s afternoon.
The above slideshow features shots taken on 2 January 2003 when I climbed Beinn Challum for the second time.
The cairn on Beinn Challum`s main top, Thursday 2 January 2003.