by m3doc » Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:42 pm
Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Beinn Ghuilean
Date walked: 23/07/2021
Time taken: 3.5 hours
Distance: 8 km
Ascent: 435m
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The 1:25,000 OS map shows tracks going to the true 354m summit of Beinn Ghuilean. I thought it would be bikeable from Killeolan on B842 on road to Southend but no. There are a number of gates to negoitiate with difficulty (tract inches deep in cows' muck at one and another in disrepair). After the 4th gate the track dissipates on the grassy hillside well before Black Loch and there is no sign of any track on the summit!
An alternative approach from NNE via the ruined High Glenramiskil Farm did not appeal at the peak of the grass pollen season.
The Walk Highlands' approach from the NW was chosen. We parked on Tomaig Road at the top of the council housing estate off Witchburn Road (B842 road to Southend) just past the defunct Campbeltown Creamery which was built in 1824 as Meadowburn Whisky Distillery and converted to a creamery about 1920 making Scottish Pride butter and cheese then Campbeltown and Mull of Kintyre cheddars. It shut down in 2020 and is benig converted into McFadyen Transport's service depot.
The tarmaced road turns sharp left and passes an old burial ground and house on the roght. At the end of the road in 0.5km, at a track junction, it is through the gate ahead bearing slightly left and down to Crosshill Loch / reservoir through pedestrian bypass gates at cattle grids but above the loch a locked gate has to be climbed over as at this one there is no pedestrian nor bicycle bypass gate.. Shortly after entering the plantation, just after timber extraction stacks, a branch of track rises steeply right. The track becomes a path and, after a sharp bend crossing a stream, rises sharply up at a felled area. A second stream is crossed and when the track bends left at the high point and before a bench is reached (not visible from here) an unmarked path rises through the bracken (shoulder high in places) and heather to the left of this stream and within the edge of the forest in a couple of places with the prominent 310+m and 299m tops to the right. Out of the forest at 270m contour the path continues SSE past a minor rocky knoll, up and over a derelict stock fence, to the 352m trig top in 1.75 hrs. Continuing SSE for 650m, over pathless rough clumpy grass, down & up about 20m, the flat broad grassy clumped unmarked 354m main summit is reached in another15 mins. Satnav confirmed it to be 2m higher than the trig point. Return by ascent route.
Not recommended approach July / August because of bracken / tick threat (one roe dear was spotted in the bracken and one tick caught)..
- Attachments
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- Start on Tomaig Road at top of housing estate
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- Beinn Ghuilean from road below old burial ground
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- Beinn Ghuilean , Crosshill Loch / reservoir and 2 gated cattle grids
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- Padlocked gate to be climbed over at cattle grid
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- Track branching up right after timber stacks
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- Retrospect from path rising from forestry track
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- Path leaving up right from high point of forestry path just before wooden bench
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- Bracken infested section of path to left of stream
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- Path to left of stream
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- Section of path through edge of plantation
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- Overgrown path at edge of plantation left of stream
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- Derelict stock fence and false summit
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- False summits
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- Approaching 352m trig summit
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- NE to Davaar Island from 352m trig
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- NW to Machrihanish Bay and Tangy Windfarm
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- Flat grassy Beinn Ghuilean 354m summit from 352m trig
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- Retrospect to 352 trig top from 354m flat grassy Beinn Ghuilean summit
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- Campbeltown from derelict stock fence on path descending towards rocky knoll bearing left to forest right of stream
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- Descending overgrown path through heather by stream towards forest
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- Descending overgrown path through heather by stream at forest edge
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- Descending path in one of the forestry sections
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- Descending overgrown path with Machrihanish Bay beyond ascent track and light blue silos of Campbeltown Creamery on right
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- Path rejoining forestry track
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- Back to forestry track branch junction
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our_route.gpx
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