Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas
LOCH TAY AND GLEN LYON
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1. Start at the Ben Lawers Visitor Centre – there is a voluntary parking charge. The centre gives details of some of the natural history of the mountain and why it has been designated as a National Nature Reserve; the area is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Begin the walk on the surfaced path leading past the information boards and through a gate. After crossing a boardwalk the deer fence protecting the flora of the Nature Reserve (from grazing sheep and deer) is reached; enter it through the large gate. The nature trail goes off to the right here (and can be included in the ascent); otherwise remain on the main path which keeps to the left of the stream at first.
2. The path continues to climb. The high mountain you can see on the right is Beinn Ghlas – it must be climbed first and only from its summit will you get your first view of Ben Lawers itself. Continue on the path which soon swings right and crosses the stream, then continuing the ascent before finally leaving the nature reserve and the fenced area. The peak to the left of Beinn Ghlas is Meall Corranaich, whilst the rockier mountain behind you, back across the car park, is Meall nan Tarmachan.
3. The path passes some shielings before beginning a steeper ascent on ground which becomes increasingly rocky as it climbs with some zig-zags; there is a shoulder before a final climb to the small plateau at the summit. The path has been wonderfully restored by the National Trust for Scotland. Beinn Ghlas is a Munro – a high one at 1103 metres – but many walkers en route to Ben Lawers are unaware of it.
Photo ©Richard Webb, and licensed under this Creative Commons Licence
4. From Beinn Ghlas the wide path continues along a mostly pleasant grassy ridge, leading down to the bealach (pass) before the final ascent up to Ben Lawers itself. The huge cairn that was built in the nineteenth century to try to raise the mountain over four thousand feet has long since gone, and today the summit is marked by a trig point and a view indicator. The views are very fine as well as extensive.
5. Experienced walkers could continue from here over the further Munros of An Stuc, Meall Garbh and Meall Greigh, making a circuit around the fine corrie of Lochan nan Cat. There is trickier terrain (especially on An Stuc) however and this is a very long walk finishing a long way from the visitor centre. The usual way back is instead to reverse the route of ascent. From the bealach between Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas there is a bypass path which heads round the north side of Beinn Ghlas to the bealach between it and Meall Corranaich before descending from there to the visitor centre. However most return over Beinn Ghlas, with the good path meaning there is little extra effort.
6. From Beinn Ghlas continue down the route of ascent with the visitor centre in view ahead most of the way. When you reached the fenced area, the National Trust request that you do not descend on the Nature Trail route, which is reserved for ascent only to reduce erosion, so remain on the main path.
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