Beinn Ghlas, Ben Lawers and An Stùc

[jgregor]

Arrived at the NTS car park shortly before 9, relieved to see there were still a few spaces left. It was a bit overcast, with cloud hanging around the high ground, but didn't look like it would be solid fog like it was up Glenshee a couple of weeks previously.

We were aiming to follow the Walk Highlands route over Beinn Ghlas to Ben Lawers, but then continue on to An Stùc, taking in the Munro top of Creag an Fhithich on the way. There's no obvious circular route back to the start from An Stùc. At the same time we weren't keen to return back over the top of Ben Lawers on the way back. So it was decided to walk around Ben Lawers on a contour along it's western slopes from the bealach between An Stùc and Creag an Fhithich, all the way round to the path coming down from Ben Lawers on it's south side, then taking the path round the north and west side of Beinn Ghlas and back to the start.

We crossed the road and followed the path towards the fenced off nature reserve. The fence prevents the intrusion of sheep, but a gate enables access for two-legs. The flora and fauna are very different inside, with many trees, flowers, insects, and several male cuckoos.

Beinn Ghlas in the clouds

Looking up the Burn of Edramucky to Beinn Ghlas

Path through the nature reserve

Another gate led us out of the reserve and soon we were on the hill proper.

Beginning the ascent of Beinn Ghlas

Loch Tay and Killin under the clouds

Meall Corranaich

At the summit of Beinn Ghlas we got our first view of Ben Lawers. Low cloud was sitting in the valley to the east, but the ridge between those two Munros prevented it moving west.

View of ridge over to Ben Lawers from Beinn Ghlas

We walked down the ridge to the bealach and started the climb up Ben Lawers.

Ben Lawers closer up. Steep.

Not sure what this is, but a lovely splash of colour among the greens and browns of the landscape

Looking back along the ridge to Beinn Ghlas

Loch Tay from Ben Lawers

The profile of Ben Lawers means there's not much room up there, and with lots of other people bagging it we didn't stay long. Instead we stopped a little way down the path to the north for a spot of lunch, with an excellent view down to Lochan nan Cat and its smaller adjoining neighbour Lochan nan Uan.

Summit of Ben Lawers

Lochan nan Cat, with Meall Garbh rising behind it

We continued down that northward path that would take us over the Munro top Creag an Fhithich (which looked little more than a bump from that angle) and then on up onto An Stùc, our third Munro of the day.

Looking towards An Stùc, with the bump of Munro top Creag an Fhithich in between

Looking over to Meall a' Choire Lèith

Once on Creag an Fhithich the other side of it was revealed to be a much more dramatic jagged, almost sheer cliff.

Creag an Fhithich top

We continued on down to the bealach between it and An Stùc.

Next stop: An Stùc

Creag an Fhithich looks a bit more impressive from the An Stùc side

We chose to include An Stùc on this walk as coming at it from Ben Lawers is less steep and challenging than from Meall Garbh on the other side. That said, this side was no mere walk in the park either!

Climbing An Stùc - this is the less steep side!

Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas from An Stùc

It became a bit less steep further up.

It didn't take too long to reach the summit.

An Stùc summit

View from the summit rock over the cairn towards Meall Corranaich

Looking over Meall a' Choire Lèith with Loch an Daimh on the other side of Glen Lyon in the distance

Meall Garbh - the next Munro in the chain. Unfortunately no time for that one today

We returned back down to the bealach. An Stùc was the furthest point on our walk, and the only path heading back to the start was the one we'd come over Ben Lawers on. Not feeling the need to bag the same Munro twice in one day we decided to go off the path and head around the west side of it, roughly following the 940m contour. I reasoned that it was grass, and didn't look too steep and so should be easy enough. And so it proved on the northern stretch. By the time we were about half way round it got a bit rockier and the many streams descending Ben Lawers made it somewhat slippery. This slowed us down a bit, but we made it round without incident or too much difficulty.

Looking up to the pass between Beinn Ghlas and Meall Corranaich

Approaching the path around the north and west sides of Beinn Ghlas

Eventually we made it around and joined the well trodden path down from Ben Lawers and around Beinn Glass.

We followed this around the west side of Beinn Ghlas for a couple of miles until it joined the outward path just before the fenced off section of nature reserve. From there it was another mile and a half or so back to the car, with three pairs of tired legs!

The long walk back to the start