Tyndrum 4 by train: a big day out

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A week of visiting family in Scotland presented me with the opportunity to sneak away on a few day trips along the Glasgow-Oban line.

Despite an early start, chaos on the M8 caused me to just miss my train from Queen street, so I didn’t arrive at Tyndrum Lower until just before 1pm, much later than I’d hoped. Conscious of time and itching to get going, I set off at a jog from the station, quickly passing Cononish farm with Ben Lui’s summit shrouded in fog lying ahead.

Approaching Ben Lui

During the whole ascent up Ben Lui I was hoping the fog would clear - but alas, it stubbornly remained as I closed in on the top. Just as I entered the mist, I spotted a Ring Ouzel, which was a nice silver lining.

The steep ascent

Near Ben Lui's Summit

The fog didn’t seem to be lifting any time soon, so I pressed on towards Beinn a' Chleibh. Luckily, the lower elevation of its summit afforded me expansive views of the surrounding hills, including the munros that still lay ahead.

Approaching Beinn a' Chleibh

Beinn a'Chleibh summit view

I doubled back towards Ben Lui, summitting it a second time before the long approach towards Ben Oss.

Ben Oss looking a long ways away

After a quick rest, the trip across Beinn Dhubchraig felt easy in comparison, and finally delivered a clear view of Ben Lui, as well as an attractive lochan.

Beautiful lochan

Final summit of the day!

To save a couple miles, I’d planned a direct descent back to Cononish farm from the summit, rather than following the established path towards Ardormie. The steep gradient and uneven heather had my legs screaming in protest - this was one of the “shortcuts” that ended up making the walk a lot harder!

Final view of Ben Lui

Since I’d finished the food I’d brought miles earlier and was looking forward to whatever provisions Tyndrum had to offer, I started to run once back on the dirt road, determined to quickly finish the job. I was so focussed on my feet that I blew past the intersection, realising shortly after that I was now heading for Ardormie after all! Fortunately, the beautifully graded West Highland Way guided me back towards civilisation, where I enjoyed a surprisingly solid fish and chips before catching the 7:27pm train back to Glasgow.