walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Beinn Ghuilean 352m trig & 354m summit

Beinn Ghuilean 352m trig & 354m summit


Postby 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

3 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

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
IMG_1638.jpg
Start on Tomaig Road at top of housing estate
IMG_1608.jpg
Beinn Ghuilean from road below old burial ground
IMG_1637.jpg
Beinn Ghuilean , Crosshill Loch / reservoir and 2 gated cattle grids
IMG_1636.jpg
Padlocked gate to be climbed over at cattle grid
IMG_1635.jpg
Track branching up right after timber stacks
IMG_1633.jpg
Retrospect from path rising from forestry track
IMG_1632.jpg
Path leaving up right from high point of forestry path just before wooden bench
IMG_1609.jpg
Bracken infested section of path to left of stream
IMG_1610.jpg
Path to left of stream
IMG_1611.jpg
Section of path through edge of plantation
IMG_1612.jpg
Overgrown path at edge of plantation left of stream
IMG_1613.jpg
Derelict stock fence and false summit
IMG_1614.jpg
False summits
IMG_1615.jpg
Approaching 352m trig summit
IMG_1616.jpg
NE to Davaar Island from 352m trig
IMG_1617.jpg
NW to Machrihanish Bay and Tangy Windfarm
IMG_1622.jpg
Flat grassy Beinn Ghuilean 354m summit from 352m trig
IMG_1621.jpg
Retrospect to 352 trig top from 354m flat grassy Beinn Ghuilean summit
IMG_1625.jpg
Campbeltown from derelict stock fence on path descending towards rocky knoll bearing left to forest right of stream
IMG_1626.jpg
Descending overgrown path through heather by stream towards forest
IMG_1627.jpg
Descending overgrown path through heather by stream at forest edge
IMG_1628.jpg
Descending path in one of the forestry sections
IMG_1629.jpg
Descending overgrown path with Machrihanish Bay beyond ascent track and light blue silos of Campbeltown Creamery on right
IMG_1631.jpg
Path rejoining forestry track
IMG_1634.jpg
Back to forestry track branch junction

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

m3doc
Walker
 
Posts: 93
Munros:7   Corbetts:222
Fionas:124   Donalds:29
Sub 2000:54   Hewitts:16
Wainwrights:22   
Joined: Jul 10, 2015

3 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).



Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: gromitty, Haydn1996, Hugo Klip, Robert Keast, Victor Rosta and 82 guests