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.

Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercation

Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercation


Postby denfinella » Mon Apr 02, 2018 2:19 pm

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Cruach Tairbeirt

Date walked: 01/04/2018

Time taken: 1.5 hours

Distance: 3 km

Ascent: 370m

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).


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



Good weather forecast for the West Highlands, but we couldn't leave Glasgow til lunchtime so that limited our options a bit (plus still lots of snow on high ground). Cruach Tairbeirt above Arrochar seemed ideal: 400 metres high, a short drive and with a path to the top.

The start of the walk is at the car park next to Arrochar & Tarbet station. I'd read a few reports on WH's and elsewhere mentioning people having problems with a local resident who took exception to walkers using the car park. We checked the signs carefully - nothing at all to suggest that the car park is for the railway station only.

As we were booting up, another car arrived and a woman came out of a nearby cottage and informed them, rather rudely, to go elsewhere and that walkers weren't allowed. They (sadly) drove off, before the resident turned her attention to me, raising her voice, telling me I was ignorant, hadn't read the "no parking" signs, and that I was stopping people from using the "park and ride". At this point the car park was completely empty except for our own car, despite the (only) train to Glasgow being due imminently. Upon asking her to show me the signs, they turned out to be imaginary, except for the one she'd put up on the wall of her own house.

At this point I politely decided to ignore her and we set off to climb the hill. The first short section uses a Forestry Commission trail which is currently closed for fallen trees / tree felling. Being Easter Sunday, there wasn't any tree felling going on, so we proceeded with care. The path was clear of trunks: after walking through the railway underpass, turn right at the signpost:

1.jpg


The path traverses the wooded hillside for a short distance then briefly climbs alongside a burn before fording it:

2.jpg


Immediately after the ford, turn left, directly uphill between rows of trees:

3.jpg


Further up, the path turns right to slope diagonally up the hill instead of straight up it - easily missed. Stay on the correct route (with a couple of fallen trees to climb over) and it leads you to the open hillside, with a fairly clear path leading all the way to the summit.

4.jpg


Excellent views of Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond from the ascent:

5.jpg


Caterpillar:

6.jpg


Cobbler poking out from behind Beinn Narnain:

7.jpg


8.jpg


The path would probably be quite boggy after a normal winter, but the ground's pretty dry at the moment. Lots of frogspawn around, sadly mostly on top of dried-up puddles. Under an hour (and less than a mile) to the trig pillar. Good views of the higher hills and nearby lochs. North to Ben Vorlich and upper Loch Lomond:

9.jpg


On the way down we detoured slightly for this view of Loch Long:

10.jpg


Surprise, surprise: back at the start, the car park was still empty except for our own car.

An excellent, straightforward hillwalk this one, and despite the unfriendly greeting at the start (or perhaps because of it), I'd like to invite you all to try it out as soon as possible... multiple times :twisted:
User avatar
denfinella
Wanderer
 
Posts: 1400
Munros:99   Corbetts:43
Fionas:39   Donalds:31
Sub 2000:75   Hewitts:14
Wainwrights:6   Islands:51
Joined: Mar 19, 2012
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby iangpark » Mon Apr 02, 2018 2:35 pm

Well done denfinella :clap: Definitely the correct attitude to residents such as that. Quite a nice day you had for it as well; may end up doing this marilyn at some point as it's really not too far from Glasgow. I'm still waiting for the snow to melt below the highland boundary... :problem:
User avatar
iangpark
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 324
Munros:87   Corbetts:17
Fionas:24   Donalds:89+52
Sub 2000:83   Hewitts:13
Wainwrights:16   Islands:12
Joined: Dec 29, 2015
Location: Kelty

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby litljortindan » Mon Apr 02, 2018 2:47 pm

A good hill for the season.
User avatar
litljortindan
Ambler
 
Posts: 2550
Munros:179   Corbetts:68
Fionas:29   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:47   Hewitts:12
Wainwrights:10   
Joined: Dec 11, 2011

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby warbeck » Tue Apr 03, 2018 2:46 pm

I climb this hill a lot.
I have had the irate resident in my face recently and so has a colleague of mine to whom i had recommended CT.
What a sad little life.
In my case it was when the sign was up "closing" the path due to tree felling.
There was no sign nor sound of the forestry so we did the hill anyway with no hindrances.
But we did have to brush aside the entreaties of the cottage owner.
I wonder is she should be reported for harassment.
probably best done once the forestry issues are gone - to avoid clouding the water
warbeck
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Dec 30, 2012

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby PeteR » Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:28 pm

Looks like you got a good day for this one. I thought it was a great little viewpoint to. Thankfully Mrs Busybody wasn't about when I parked my car at the station the day I was there. Seems some people have nothing better to do with their time.
User avatar
PeteR
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 2115
Munros:282   Corbetts:182
Fionas:135   Donalds:89+52
Sub 2000:207   Hewitts:3
Islands:9
Joined: Jan 27, 2010
Location: North Ayrshire

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby denfinella » Thu Apr 05, 2018 5:34 pm

iangpark wrote:Well done denfinella :clap: Definitely the correct attitude to residents such as that. Quite a nice day you had for it as well; may end up doing this marilyn at some point as it's really not too far from Glasgow. I'm still waiting for the snow to melt below the highland boundary... :problem:


The snow was pretty much why we opted for this lower hill too :lol:

litljortindan wrote:A good hill for the season.


Yes, one of my favourite things about this time of year is walking on a nice, green hill while the higher ones are cloaked in white.

warbeck wrote:I climb this hill a lot.
I have had the irate resident in my face recently and so has a colleague of mine to whom i had recommended CT.
What a sad little life.
In my case it was when the sign was up "closing" the path due to tree felling.
There was no sign nor sound of the forestry so we did the hill anyway with no hindrances.
But we did have to brush aside the entreaties of the cottage owner.
I wonder is she should be reported for harassment.
probably best done once the forestry issues are gone - to avoid clouding the water


:(

PeteR wrote:Looks like you got a good day for this one. I thought it was a great little viewpoint to. Thankfully Mrs Busybody wasn't about when I parked my car at the station the day I was there. Seems some people have nothing better to do with their time.


Good day indeed :)
User avatar
denfinella
Wanderer
 
Posts: 1400
Munros:99   Corbetts:43
Fionas:39   Donalds:31
Sub 2000:75   Hewitts:14
Wainwrights:6   Islands:51
Joined: Mar 19, 2012
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby Graeme D » Thu Apr 05, 2018 5:46 pm

Oh I do hope I meet this local resident should I ever do this hill. Been a while since I have had a good altercation with an ignoramus at the start of a walk. :D

Nice wee report by the way, just like the hill. :clap:
User avatar
Graeme D
 
Posts: 4110
Munros:259   Corbetts:130
Fionas:83   Donalds:25
Sub 2000:62   Hewitts:36
Wainwrights:28   Islands:6
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Location: Perth

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby denfinella » Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:22 pm

Graeme D wrote:Oh I do hope I meet this local resident should I ever do this hill. Been a while since I have had a good altercation with an ignoramus at the start of a walk. :D

Nice wee report by the way, just like the hill. :clap:


Thanks Graeme. Be sure to post a report if you get round to climbing it, encounters and all :shock:
User avatar
denfinella
Wanderer
 
Posts: 1400
Munros:99   Corbetts:43
Fionas:39   Donalds:31
Sub 2000:75   Hewitts:14
Wainwrights:6   Islands:51
Joined: Mar 19, 2012
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby Sunset tripper » Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:16 am

Great pictures. That person you encountered sounds like a rocket - to use a railway term. :D
User avatar
Sunset tripper
 
Posts: 3210
Joined: Nov 3, 2013
Location: Inverness

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby warrior » Tue Jan 01, 2019 4:06 pm

I encountered the altercation woman today. She informed me "all the leaflets say you can't park here". Still no signs displayed to say you can't park in the station car park. Looking at the official Scotrail map displayed I suggest her trailers, boat and 2 cars may be unofficially parked! Anyway I was able to point out that the are no trains in Scotland on New Years Day!
warrior
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 2
Munros:50   Corbetts:7
Fionas:27   Donalds:39
Sub 2000:169   Hewitts:5
Wainwrights:2   Islands:58
Joined: Mar 1, 2011
Walk wish-list

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby iangpark » Mon Mar 23, 2020 4:19 pm

Bit of an update r.e. the pleasant resident, shall I call her? Was asked if I was doing 'the walk', to which I responded "I am indeed, yes". She said that the parking for the walk is down by the restaurant, not here. I simply agreed with her and kept walking. Once back, I noticed she'd put a leaflet under my wipers of a Forestry Commission pamphlet detailing the Arrochar Trail and Cruach Tairbeirt routes, with a section she'd highlighted where it says "park at the restaurant". Now fair enough to her, the FC have suggested to park there, but it's not mandatory, and still up to the walker. It's only an extra minute or two onto the walk at most so anyone wanting to avoid her in the future I suggest just doing as she asks, but of course if you're up for standing your ground then go right ahead! :lol:
User avatar
iangpark
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 324
Munros:87   Corbetts:17
Fionas:24   Donalds:89+52
Sub 2000:83   Hewitts:13
Wainwrights:16   Islands:12
Joined: Dec 29, 2015
Location: Kelty

Re: Cruach Tairbeirt - superb views and an Easter altercatio

Postby denfinella » Mon Mar 23, 2020 11:40 pm

Nice surprise to see this old chestnut of mine come up again. :lol:

@iangpark: agree with all your points.

I would be much more happy to comply with a polite request than the angry (and factually inaccurate) interrogation we got on our visit.

The resident concerned should at least get 3+ weeks peace and quiet now we've all been told to stay at home :shock:
User avatar
denfinella
Wanderer
 
Posts: 1400
Munros:99   Corbetts:43
Fionas:39   Donalds:31
Sub 2000:75   Hewitts:14
Wainwrights:6   Islands:51
Joined: Mar 19, 2012
Location: Edinburgh

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: Gordy1127, Vickip1 and 42 guests