Ben Lui is regarded as one of the grandest and most elegant mountains in the Southern Highlands, with a magnificent appearance when seen up the Cononish Glen from Dalrigh. The shortest route to it is from Glen Lochay, enabling easy inclusion of its less impressive neighbour Beinn a'Chleibh.
Summary
It is necessary to cross the River Lochay near the start of the walk - there is no bridge and it usually requires a wade and would be impassable in spate. Boggy paths in the forest follow, with a good deal of steep pathless ground higher up.
Terrain
NN239278
Grid ref
9.5km/5.75 miles
Distance
Grade
NB. Hillwalking when there is snow on the hills requires an ice-axe, crampons and winter skills and experience.
Users'
rating
Regular buses pass along the A85 en route to Oban.
Open Traveline Scotland
Public transport
1. Park in the car park off to the left of the A85 at NN239278. A good path leaves this and heads for the river Lochay. The path goes to the right along the bank of the river - head along it, looking for the most convenient place to cross. The Lochay is a wide river but usually shallow enough to wade; it may be possible to cross on stones in very dry conditions, whilst in spate any crossing would be very dangerous or even impossible (there is a bridge around a kilometre to the west). Once on the far side head up into the forest adjacent to where the Eas Diamh flows out and joins the Lochay.
2. The path continues through the trees with the burn on your right. After around half a kilometre there is a very important junction which unfortunately is usually missed. A very small cairn opposite where the stream from Fionn Choire flows down and joins the Eas Daimh marks the place to leave the main path, cross the Eas Daimh and instead follow an initially smaller path up the left side of the Fionn Choire burn. If you continue up the main path beside the Eas Daimh it soon becomes incredibly wet and boggy and although it is eventually possible to exit the forest further east it is strongly recommended to try to find the other path which is much more pleasant (if still muddy).
Photo: the forest in winter © Paul Birrell CCSA.
3. The path thankfully leaves the forestry at around 490 metres in Fionn Choire. From here you could make directly for the bealach between the two peaks, but it gives more variety to leave that route for the descent. Instead climb directly to the east - a featureless, pathless and unremitting but mostly grassy ascent that leads eventually to the north ridge of Ben Lui. From here the climb becomes much more enjoyable; turn right up the still steep ridge which becomes increasingly well defined towards the summit.
Photo ©Bill Copland, licensed under CCSA.
4. There is a cairn marking the northwest summit, with the (true) southeast summit a short distance further across a dip. At 1130 metres Ben Lui is one of the highest and probably the finest Munro in the southern Highlands. The cairn has a magnificent situation right on the edge of the great Coire Gaothach which usually holds snow into early summer and has a classic winter climb known as Central Gully - for mountaineers. From here the neighbouring Munro of Beinn a'Chleibh looks quite insignificant - descend southwest down the broad ridge towards it (with a path at last!).
Photo © doogz
5. From the bealach the zig-zags its way up the ridge beyond to reach the spacious plateau; the summit is marked by a cairn at 916 metres. Beinn a'Cheibh seems quite an anti-climax after Ben Lui but it too looks a fine peak when seen from the A85 road to the north; it presents a fierce rocky wall in this direction, so it is best to return to the bealach above Coire Fionn.
Photo © doogz
6. Enjoy the last of the days fine views, over towards Ben Cruachan. The initial descent from the bealach is very steep so care should be taken. Further down the terrain becomes much easier. Head for where the path you ascended emerged from the forest and follow this back down to the start. You probably won't mind getting wet feet in the Lochay for the last few metres to the car park.
Photo © doogz
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