Dorain & Dothaidh duo
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 2:20 pm
Ever since getting THIS view of Beinn Dorain from the A82 north of Tyndrum, it's been on the list for a future hill day. Well, finally that day had arrived! And good weather forecast.
Fortunately you don't have to slog up the steep slopes in the photo above; the western side above Bridge of Orchy is gentler. Cuckoos in the trees around the car park as we parked up. Bridge of Orchy railway station is also about half a mile into the route, so it's a good hill to climb using public transport for access. (We drove, though.)
The path follows the Allt Coire an Dothaidh up through a coire and finally to the bealach between Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh at 744 metres. It's pretty eroded in places but generally gives good going underfoot. The burn has a decent series of waterfalls but you have to leave the path to see most of these.
Looking back down the route of ascent from the bealach, which has a lochan and large cairn:
To the south, it's a couple of kilometres to the summit of Beinn Dorain:
Loch Tulla and the Black Mount:
We'd somehow become tangled up among a large tour group around here, and it was quite busy all the way to the summit. Not what you expect on a weekday! Allt Coire a' Ghathalach:
Looking back to Beinn an Dothaidh, which we have an afternoon date with...
Before the true summit of Beinn Dorain, there's the false "Carn Sasunnaich" summit. The ground drops away spectacularly to the southeast:
Ahead to the proper summit:
Summit views east and west:
Returning to the bealach, a path climbs diagonally right across the slope of Beinn an Dothaidh:
Shortly afterwards the path peters out in a boggy area. The bog wasn't too serious after the recent dry weather, and the start of the next section of path was easily visible beyond (centre of photo):
A sprawling summit cairn...
...with spectacular views across Rannoch Moor, especially from the lower west top:
Headed down to the south to avoid the boggy area (not entirely successfully), before regaining the outward path. Back down by the route of ascent. A decent day out and it seemed less of a slog than the contours and total ascent suggest.