Ben Inverveigh on its own

[steverabone]

Ben Inverveigh is a relatively easy hill to climb near Bridge of Orchy. Although it is 639 metres above sea level and therefore should qualify by height to be a Graham, it isn't a Graham because the drop between it and Meall Tairbh (655m and actually a Graham) is only 134 metres. To qualify as a separate Graham the drop must be 150 metres. Crazy isn't it? However Ben Inverveigh is an interesting hill to climb anyway.

In August 2024 I had intended to climb Ben Inverveigh, drop down to the bealach between it and Meall Tairbh and then return to Bridge of Orchy.

However, the night before my walk there was extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds. Knowing about the notorious boggy sections on Meall Tairbh, I decided to wait and see how I felt about completing the circuit of the two hills.

I took the 06:40 Citylink bus from Glasgow to Bridge of Orchy and after a strong cup of coffee at the hotel set off in the rain.


Dropping down from Bridge of Orchy on the road to Inveroran....



.....I crossed over the River Orchy. My thoughts were already tending to not completing the entire circuit. The river was clearly in serious spate.



Taking the West Highland Way path...



.....it climbs up through trees....



.....and onto the open moorland.



Over to the left are the lower slopes of Ben Inverveigh.



The West Highland Way climbs to a summit where....



...there is a viewpoint cairn overlooking Loch Tulla.



At about NN285 411, near the cairn, a track leads off up the hill. It's easy to miss as it trails into the West Highland Way at an oblique angle. Of course I missed the junction and had to walk back to find it!



The path is clear but extremely wet.



Eventually it starts to climb more steadily...



.....and there are “views” back to the hamlet at Inveroran and Loch Tulla.



There's a cairn at the spot height on the map of 546m, with the ridge leading onwards.



Even in heavy rain it's a pleasant walk along the narrowing ridge...



....which then broadens and becomes very wet.



There's a section with flat stones....



....and the summit of Ben Inverveigh comes into view. Over to the right is Meall Tairbh.



Over to left of the ridge are the Munros Ben Achaladair and Beinn an Dothaidh.



The summit cairn is in view with a small lochan close by.



The summit cairn looking North West are the isolated, and difficult to get to without using a car, Munros of Stob Coir' an Albannaich and Meall nan Eun. The panorama diagram below was made on this website: https://www.udeuschle.de/panoramas/makepanoramas.htm



Looking North West are the isolated, and difficult to get to without using a car, Munros of Stob Coir' an Albannaich and Meall nan Eun



The way to Meall Tairbh is along this ridge....



......and then down to the bealach near Lochan Coir' Orain, before climbing up onto Meall Tairbh.

I decide not to go on. Yesterday's walk up Beinn Luibhean was hard on my legs and I have a nagging ache in my right thigh.

It was still raining hard and, in fact, many of the photos I took are unusable because of water on the camera lens.

I'd really enjoyed the walk so far so why spoil it by have to cope with the bogs on the next hill. So I sit down in the rain and eat my lunch feeling perfectly content even if I haven't ticked off another Graham. Maybe I will grant Ben Inverveigh honorary Graham status! Much more likely is a return visit to climb Meall Tairbh on its own.

On the way down the hill back to the West Highland Way weather conditions did slowly improve and, after it stopped raining, I used the camera on my mobile phone to get some panoramic photos of the surrounding hills.


Looking West and North West.

See the photo and diagram below for identification




The next three photos show the view looking east - each photo overlaps slightly. These are the Munros above Bridge of Orchy: Ben Achaladair and Beinn an Dothaidh and Beinn Dorain. The course of the West Highland railway can be seen on the hillside.


Moving around the hill on the right is the Corbett Beinn Bhreac-liath.


Moving right again the two Corbetts above Glen Orchy can be seen - Beinn Bhreac-liath and Beinn Udlaith.


Looking down to the hamlet at Inveroran with the flooded fields around Loch Tulla.



A final view looking over the northern end of Loch Tulla towards Rannoch Moor.

Once back on the West Highland Way I headed down to the Inveroran Hotel for a drink. I then walked back along the single track road by the loch and riverside to Bridge of Orchy for a meal in the hotel before returning to Bridge of Orchy by walking along the road, rather than the West Highland Way path, for a different view.

Back at the hotel in Bridge of Orchy for a meal I have a fascinating conversation with a man from Stockholm who after his military service decided to join the army. He was camping and described the wild night he'd had the previous night. Then for me it's back to Glasgow on the train.

In September 2024 I returned to climb Meall Tairbh in ideal conditions. The description of that climb can be found here:
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=126651&p=505295#p505295