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.

Bheula beauty

Bheula beauty


Postby Tam Collie » Sat Nov 16, 2019 7:30 pm

Corbetts included on this walk: Beinn Bheula

Date walked: 02/11/2019

Time taken: 6 hours

Distance: 14.9 km

Ascent: 860m

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

It's not that far to Arrochar from Perth but the narrow roads down Gleann Mor makes it a slow affair, still we had the car parked by 10:00 and were walking soon afterwards. Parking a little problematic but we found a place by the loch and walked up the road to join the Cowal trail which we followed all the way to the waterfall below Curra lochain.

It was a cracking day, blue skies in the morning and the clouds reflecting off a mirror calm loch.

Crossing the Lettermay burn was something of a challenge as there was a lot of water in it and the safety rope just below the lochain just didn't do it today. Long jumping and pole vaulting proved the best approach.

We pecked our way up rough ground at the side of the trees on the NW ridge of Beinn Bheula until it we broached the ridge and the walking became more interesting, the ground less wet and the views magnificent. The lochain to the SE, Lochain na Cnaimh, was like glass and the views across it to Loch Long and beyond to the lower Clyde superb. These Cowal hill were new to me and the views inspiring. Looking up the ridge it looked very craggy from below but an easy way was always to be found and we were soon at the final headwall where a faint path found its way up a shallow gully and almost directly to the trigpoint.

The blue skies were lost and we quickened ourselves across to Creag Sgoilte to get the last of the views and find a way down. A great vantage point, where unknown villages hugged the shores of Loch Fyne and the foot of Loch Eck lay below us. We even spied the wing from the aircraft wreckage on the Southern slopes to which we descended via a wide detour to the West avoiding the crags.

Now the fun started ! A lack of large paths (or maybe we just didn't find them) meant we had to plan our descent. We opted for a plan that involved a little rough terrain that would get us to a forestry track, clearly used as shown by the stacked timbers. Ah the best laid plans.... Many expletives later and covered in dirt we emerged from the woods with a clear view of this elusive track, eventually reaching it after some seriously slippy and knee twisting terrain. Plain sailing from there though apart from the wet socks starting to rub at sodden feet.

All back at the car before it got dark and changed and warm soon after. A really good day out which we topped of with a visit to the a favourite hostelry on the way back.
User avatar
Tam Collie
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 47
Munros:3   Corbetts:127
Fionas:6   Donalds:11
Sub 2000:17   Hewitts:48
Wainwrights:73   
Joined: Nov 1, 2010

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: ferg, kaiserstein and 87 guests