Hills & Mountains

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park

*I am in the process of redesigning this section, updating background information and adding many more high-res shots*

The Cowal Hills

The Cowal Hills form an impressive backdrop to Dumbarton Rock on a superb January morning in this view taken from the Erskine Bridge.

The Cowal tops stand clear of thick fog blanketing the Clyde estuary in this view taken from Lyle Hill above Gourock on a cold December afternoon.

The Cowal and Kintyre peninsulas are mostly reached over the famous Rest-and-be-Thankful pass (245m) at the head of Glen Croe between Loch Long and Loch Fyne. Several parallel sea lochs, namely Loch Goil, Loch Striven and Loch Riddon, along with inland Loch Eck, all on a north-south line in the east of the district of Cowal, split the interior, with broad ridges between them forming around 30 tops above 600 metres. South of the Rest, the Ardgoil peninsula between Loch Goil and Loch Long is known as Argyll`s Bowling Green, a corruption of its old Norse name from the droving days, Buaile na Greine, the sunny cattle fold.

Looking towards the Cowal Hills from the track to Loch Humphrey in the Kilpatrick Hills.

The Cowal Hills seen from the high ground above Greenock.

The Beinn Mhor Group

BEINN MHOR (741m)
​CLACH BHEINN (643m)
BEINN RUADH (664m)
​​
Tuesday 12 March 2002

Although Beinn Mhor, at 741 metres, is the highest hill in Cowal, the views from the top were slightly disappointing as the neighbouring hills on three sides comprise of long,level ridges, however, Arran and the Paps of Jura, the latter well-plastered with snow, peered above the horizon to add interest. The views northward were better and included the Arrochar Alps, distant Ben Cruachan and the hills of Mull.

Near the summit of Beinn Mhor looking west. The snow-capped Paps of Jura are just visible on the right-hand distant skyline.

​The shortest route onto these hills is from the small car park at the end of the public road in Glen Massan. A private road continues up the glen to Glenmassan Farm from where a bulldozed track zigzags through an extensive forestry plantation to  terminate on the ridge, near the summit of Beinn Mhor. ​Clach Bheinn, although 100 metres lower than beinn Mhor, is by far the better viewpoint and a rocky outcrop just to the north of the summit makes a fine perch above Loch Eck. Greenock and the chimney of the Inverkip Power Station were the main points of interest in the other direction, but the tall structure has long-since been demolished. ​Wildlife sightings were sparse although as I walked across the boggy ground towards Clach Bheinn, an unidentified medium-sized bird of prey flew at speed over the ridge. A solitary Buzzard and a Goldcrest were seen in the glen earlier, as was a small Roe Deer.

These shots are all copies of prints which were taken with a low-spec camera, hence the poor quality.

​Below: Beinn Ruadh, 664 metres, and Clach Bheinn (right) seen from the connecting ridge from Beinn Mhor. Creag Mhor is the low-lying, snow-free hill immediately behind Clach Bheinn. The River Clyde is in the distance.

Beinn Bheula

BEINN BHEULA (779m)

Friday 8 November 2019

Despite having done most of the principal hills in this area I didn`t get round to climbing Beinn Bheula until late 2019. This Corbett, which rises steeply above the forestry plantations of northern Loch Goil and Loch Eck, is a rugged, complex peak of ridges and crags. Despite the rough nature of the terrain which would make a good winter round when snow-covered, Beinn Bheula is far less visited than the Munros and other noteworthy summits of the Arrochar Alps and Loch Lomondside. Carrick Castle can be made out, almost dead centre in the above view of the mountain which was taken during a recent flight with Loch Lomond Seaplanes.

Above: Looking south down Loch Eck.

My companion for the day, coincidentally another Brian, stays locally and has an intimate knowledge of the area having walked and cycled its roads and trails over many years and climbed almost every top. Had I been tackling the peak on my own I would have opted for the Loch Goil approach but having now walked-in from the opposite Glenbranter side, I think this would be hard to beat, especially as it makes for a more gradual ascent and leaves any views of the high mountains to the north and east until you gain the plateau. 

It also meant that rather than a long drive up Loch Lomondside and over the Rest-and-be-Thankful, I could leave the car at Gourock and hop on a Western Isles ferry for a 20 minute sail, a real bonus given the weather. The Cobbler, seen from what was for me an unusual angle, looked particularly fine with a covering of overnight snow, as did the other adjacent high tops.

There`s a point of interest just moments after setting off from the roadside in Glenbranter, in the shape of a memorial to Captain John Lauder of the 8th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders who was killed while fighting in France during the Great War. He was the son of world famous entertainer Sir Harry Lauder (4 August 1870 - 26 February 1950) who financed and erected the memorial which was unveiled in 1921. The site has recently undergone a £25,000 restoration. Additional background information and photos can be found in my War Memorials: Argyll & Bute section.

The forestry track from the Glenbranter side zigzags up the hillside at an easy angle and makes for steady progress.

Above: The southernmost ridge slanting down from the east side of Beinn Bheula forms the left-hand skyline in this view of Carrick Castle. Although this keep dates mainly from the 15th century there`s thought to have been a stronghold here since the 13th century. The tower stands in a commanding position on the west side of Loch Goil, about 6 km south of Lochgoilhead. There is not a lot of historical date available on Carrick Castle although Mary Queen of Scots is known to have paid a visit in 1563. This location is usually visited several times each summer by the Waverley paddle-steamer and makes a popular excursion with passengers sailing up from Glasgow. I took the following shot of Beinn Bheula from the east side of Loch Goil while I was en route to climb the Saddle in 2011.

Two aircraft are known to have crashed on Beinn Bheula, the most famous being Boeing B-29A Superfortress, serial number 44-62276, of the 301st Bombardment Group USAF, which plummeted into the ground in Succoth Glen on Monday 17th January 1949. Tragically. there were no survivors and twenty airmen lost their lives. A wartime photo of a B-29 Superfortress, similar to the one that crashed is pictured below. The bomber that ended up on the hillside above Loch Goil was one of a pair en route to the USA after a deployment to RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. ​

The first leg of the journey was to Keflavik in Iceland but as the weather deteriorated the captain of the other plane decided to turn back, but 44-62276 continued and came to grief soon after. The cause of the crash was never determined although ice forming on control surfaces while flying through thick cloud may have been a contributory factor.

​A large amount of wreckage remains in pockets as debris was strewn over a wide area. Much of this ground is now covered by forestry plantation restricting access and potentially making some remains difficult to find. There are some large pieces of interesting wreckage at the main site including one complete section of the undercarriage mechanism and the tail gun housing. A memorial cairn now stands at this spot with some messages from relatives of those who died.

The B-29 crash site is best visited from Lettermay near Lochgoilhead but the scant remnants of ​Grumman F4F Martlet, serial number AL251, lie at an altitude of approximately 620 metres, about 1 km south of Beinn Bheula`s summit on a broad grassy bealach which is negotiated on standard approaches, whether from the east or west. 

​The Martlet had been flown by a Lieutenant Godfrey Frederick Russell, aged 23, of 804 squadron Fleet Air Arm. The circumstances appear to be that he and two colleagues had been sent to Abbotsinch (now Glasgow Airport) to collect Martlets and ferry them back to Donibristle where Captain Eric `Winkle` Brown was based at the time. A British Royal Navy officer and test pilot, he ended up flying 487 types of aircraft during his career, more than anyone else in history. He was also the most-decorated pilot in the history of the Royal Navy. In his book 'Wings on My Sleeve', Brown narrates how the three pilots took off from Abbotsinch on 13th December 1940 but encountered a howling snowstorm soon after. 

One plane made it to Donibristle but two went down, apparently having been forced well off course as Brown gives the scene of the losses as Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond. As there were only three aircraft, one of which arrived safely with another recovered after ditching in the loch, the third is likely to be Russell`s aircraft. Not many people, other than locals would have heard of Beinn Bheula so Ben Lomond would be an instantly identifiable mountain to quote in general conversation. Brown also went on to describe Godfrey Russell, as one of the squadron`s most experienced flight leaders.

Russell is buried in Dunfermline (Douglas Bank) Cemetery which actually lies closer to Rosyth, a short distance from the West Gate of Rosyth Royal Dockyard. During the 1939-1945 War the cemetery was used for the burial of servicemen, the great majority of whom were men of the sea and lie in a designated naval plot overlooked by a Cross of Sacrifice. There are, however, a few war graves in other parts of the cemetery. There are currently four casualties from the Great War and nearly 130 from WW2 commemorated at this location. In addition there is one unidentified 1939-1945 burial.

There are three substantial pieces of wreckage, about 50m apart but it appears that over time two of these have sunk into the boggy ground and lie hidden amongst the tussocky grass. The only part I could see in passing was this section of wing which lies below the crags in the following shot, to the right of the faint path. A roundel had been visible for many years but has long since faded. To find the engine and part of the fuselage would have taken a bit more effort.

The Grumman F4F Wildcat, an American single-seat carrier-based fighter, first flew on September 1937 and following the outbreak of the Second World War two years later, the French Navy ordered 81 aircraft but these were diverted to Britain when France fell in May 1940. Initially named the Martlet by the Royal Navy they were re-named Wildcats in 1944 to align with combined US and British operations. A total of 1,123 Fleet Air Arm Martlets operated in all theatres of war including Norway, the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Far East. ​However, Martlets distinguished themselves in the Battle of Atlantic and on Arctic Convoys providing effective fighter support from escort carriers and working effectively with Fairey Swordfish in the hunt for German U-Boats. This wartime image above, taken in 1940, shows a formation of Martlets from No.804 Squadron, based at RNAS Skaebrae in the Orkney Islands.

Below: Looking down toward the impact site from the Creag Sgoilte crags. Had the plane been higher, or slightly to the south, there`s a good chance that Lieutenant Russell would have missed the hillside altogether. The wing section lies just beyond the large boulder at the bottom of the gully.

In English heraldry a Martlet is a stylised bird with small or ineffective legs similar to a House Martin or Swallow. The Martlet aircraft is renowned for having a small and precarious undercarriage that could make take off and landings difficult. Intentionally named with this characteristic in mind or not, there is clearly a link between the plane and the heraldic bird. 

In October 1940 two Martlets of 804 Naval Air Squadron, based on Orkney, forced down a German Junkers JU-88A that was attempting to bomb the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. This was the first victory credited to an American-built fighter in British service.

​Grumman Martlet l, AL246, (not shown) currently on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, is the only surviving  F4F-4 (G-36A). It spent most of its service life in Scotland at Donibristle, Fife, and Machrihanish near Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula​. From 1944 it was used as an instructional airframe at Loughborough Aeronautical College before transferring to Yeovilton in the late 1950s.​

Above: On the plateau. The actual summit block is on the right.

Views of the western seaboard include Islay, the Paps of Jura and Ben More on Mull. Goatfell on Arran is pictured above. 

We had the hill to ourselves but two walkers could just be made out as they approached the summit cairn of one of the rugged peaks to the north. 

​By the time we were ready to head downhill there wasn`t a breath of wind and it was so mild and sunny that some midges mistakenly thought spring had arrived and took to the air in the late afternoon sunshine. 

​Being almost 3,000ft above sea level in such clear conditions made the views of any flyovers even better. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic widebodies were the most common but among the other carriers identified by sight were Air Canada, United Airlines and an Air France A380 (above left). I was too slow in catching the two most interesting planes as they passed directly overhead, namely a military A400 Atlas and a red, white and blue aircraft which may belong to a Fisheries or environmental protection agency. Pictured above right is a BA Jumbo with `One World` titles.

​​Virgin conveniently paint the registrations on their aircraft in very big letters under the wing which means that you can sometimes read them off from a photo taken ​with a very long lens. This shot shows Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner G-VWOO `Leading Lady`about to head across the Pond. 

This gallery includes views of the Cruachan Dam, Lochgoilhead village, Ben Vorlich and Stuc a'Chroin above distant Loch Tay, and the submarine shed at the Faslane naval base. Ben More, Scotland`s most westerly Munro (a mountain attaining or exceeding 3,000ft (914 metres)) which is situated on the Isle of Mull, is pictured below.

Although the area is rich in wildlife, sightings can be a bit `hit or miss` at this time of the year but we did okay with a couple of red deer, pairs of Buzzard and Raven, a fleeting glimpse of a Peregrine and a great view of a Kestrel hunting below the summit crags. ​

Darkness had just begun to fall by the time Brian dropped me off at Hunter`s Quay for the return ferry and the moon was clear in the sky making a fine end to yet another memorable day on the hills.

Cnoc Coinnich and Beinn Reithe

CNOC COINNICH (761m)
​BEINN REITHE (663m)

Tuesday 23 November​ 2010

​Above: Looking north from Cnoc Coinnich: Beinn Luibhean is on the far left, then snow-capped Ben Ime, The Brack, in shadow, is in the centre with the Cobbler directly behind and Beinn Narnain to the right. Also visible, in the far distance on the right, are Ben More and Stob Binnein which lie close to Crianlarich.

​The hilly peninsula that separates Loch Goil and Loch Long (seen here) is often ignored by walkers who tend to concentrate on the higher, better-known peaks of the Arrochar Alps. However, in addition to fine mountain scenery the southern end of this peninsula offers a sweeping panorama of the Gare Loch and Clyde Estuary as well as superb views of any tankers or naval vessels as they head towards Finnart or Glenmallan. There are three main tops running north to south in descending order - Cnoc Coinnich, 761m, Beinn Reithe, 663m, and the Saddle, 521m, and despite their modest elevation a compulsory sea-level start means that a traverse of all three can easily pass the best part of a day.

Ardgartan, alongside the A83 Rest-and-be-thankful road at the foot of Glen Croe, is a possible starting point but it`s better scenically to drive to Lochgoilhead village where the Cowal Way leads past the Post Office and climbs over the hillside between Ben Donich and Cnoc Coinnich. ​On Tuesday 23 November I took in the two northerly summits, Cnoc Coinnich and Beinn Reithe but left the Saddle as an excuse to return at a later date. ​Initially the route leads through woodland with Loch Goil and the caravans and lodges of the Drimsynie holiday complex being quickly lost from view.

​ The above view looks back to where the track exits the forest and shows the line of peaks that lie to the west of Lochgoilhead.

A frozen lochan high on Cnoc Coinnich with Ben Lomond in the distance.

Cnoc Coinnich is best for mountain views while Beinn Reithe gives a bird`s-eye view of the MOD facility at Glen Mallan (above) on the east shore of Loch Long. Unfortunately there were no vessels alongside the jettywhen I reached the summit other than a small Pilot boat doing circuits. HMS Dragon (D35), the fourth of the Royal Navy's six Type 45 air defence destroyers, had been present the day before.

​There`s usually no activity whatsoever here and the best time is just before, or during the twice-yearly Joint Warrior military exercises, when naval vessels may call in to replenish supplies.

One such vessel, USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20), is pictured moored at Glen Mallan on a sunny morning in October 2015. She is one of two Blue Ridge-class Amphibious Command Ships in service with the US Navy. Although she arrived on the Clyde at the end of Joint Warrior 152, the timing of her visit was purely coincidental as she was not thought to have been involved in the exercise. USS Mount Whitney acts as the command ship for the US Navy`s Sixth Fleet. She has a US Navy officer in overall charge with a navy mission crew, but navigation, seamanship, engineering, laundry and galley services are all provided by the civil service mariners of Military Sealift Command.

The north end of Loch Long from Beinn Reithe.

For anyone interested in shipping The Saddle (see below) would undoubtedly be the best top to visit, 

​A telephoto view of the Faslane Naval Base from Beinn Reithe. (to edit*)

The Saddle

THE SADDLE (521m)

​18 January 2011

​I finally got round to climbing the Saddle, the knobbly hill that lies toward the south end of the peninsula that separates Loch Goil and Loch Long. This shot was taken from the east side of Loch Long on the drive up. The tug in the reflection is the SD Waterston.* Anyone lacking the time, energy or inclination to climb all four of the peninsula`s hills in one go and looking for a shorter, less taxing option should consider an ascent of the Saddle.

Admittedly Beinn Reithe, 653m and Cnoc Coinnich, 761m, to the north of The Saddle are better for views of the Arrochar Alps but, although it`s not the highest hill in the chain, the latter hill`s summit offers a wide panorama of the distant Firth of Clyde and an unrivalled view of any vessels docked at Glenmallan or the Finnart Oil Terminal. 

Appearances can be deceptive - the locals are actually quite friendly!

To reach the Saddle directly from Lochgoilhead village a forest track is followed southwards to a junction where a post indicates the way to `Corran Lochan via the Duke`s Pass`. I presumed this section of track is fairly new as it wasn`t shown on my 2007 OS map. One clear of the forestry, there`s a good view of Loch Goil and Lochgoilhead village.

The chalets and caravans of the Drimsynie Estate Holiday Village and felled areas of forestry mar the hillside at the head of Lochgoilhead .

The route climbs gradually and takes approximately 3km to get above the trees with a southbound continuation that eventually passes the lochan and Clach Bheinn, 437m, the peninsula`s southernmost peak, however, a direct line can be taken onto the Saddle at the first convenient point. 

Corran Lochan and Clach Bheinn from the Saddle.

It was fairly warm during the walk-in despite a few showers but it was much colder at the summit with the wind blowing snow clouds across the higher tops to the north and west. Apart from a few deer the only other wildlife encountered was a pair of Raven tumbling in the breeze.

​The summit of the Saddle is a superb vantage point. Front Opalia, a 333 metre-long Marshall-Islands-flagged Crude Oil Tanker moored at the Finnart Oil Terminal, gives a sense of scale. The vessel, one of the largest to visit this facility, was built by a Japanese shipyard in 1999 and is owned and managed by ITM Holding which is based in Dubai.

On the right, below, is a distant view of a pair of Western Ferries vessels off McInroy`s Point plying between Gourock and Dunoon. The chimney of Inverkip Power Station is immediately identifiable but the architectural landmark has long since been demolished. The two small Clyde Coast islands known as the Cumbraes lie beyond.

 Below: Looking east from the top of the Saddle, across Loch Long to the MOD facility at Glenmallan and the Luss Hills. 

Creachan Mor

CREACHAN MOR (331m)

Dates Not Recorded​

In this view from the summit of Creachan Mor the cloud slanting across the middle distance marks the line of Loch Goil.

I`ve climbed this hill twice, once from the Ardentinny side and the other from Carrick Castle. etc*

Additional shots taken from the summit of Creachan Mor, looking north during a temperature inversion, with cloud almost obscuring the small settlement of Carrick Castle below. 

Beinn Bheula is the prominent pointed hill on the left below. A pair of RAF Tornados flew into view and stayed above the clouds as they continued over Loch Goil and disappeared over the ridge to the north-east. They were surprisingly quiet on approach and I only managed to snatch a blurred shot with my digital compact.

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