Bheinn Bhan - one for the purist!

[Graeme D]

The last day of my Summer 2017 tour saw me taking in the prominent Corbett of Beinn Bhan which rises above the Great Glen and the Caledonian Canal to the west of the Commando Memorial near Spean Bridge. It was one of those often driven past, never climbed hills but today it would have its day. To be honest, after the bitter disappointment of my ultimately aborted effort to take in the 5 Munros to the north of Glen Affric the previous day, my mind was already on the way home even with one day of the hill pass still to go. Looked like an ideal day for this one then!

I drove from Fiddlers in Drumnadrochit and parked up for the night at the tight little parking area by the gate at the start of the track that leads into the forest and up towards the Druim Fada from the road through Glen Loy near Inverskilavulin Bridge.

The morning dawned relatively bright and sunny, a pleasant contrast to much of what I was given by the Weather Gods yesterday in Glen Affric. The Law of Sod at work in the hills yet again!

I threw on a small pack with a few bare necessities in it and headed over the bridge and down the track towards Inverskilavulin Lodges and onto the hillside beyond.

Beinn Bhan across the Glen Roy road from my wee parking spot

Inverskilavulin Lodges sign - can't quite put my finger on what it is, but something makes me think they might be trying to attract the fishing and deer stalking fraternity!

Inverskilavulin Lodges

This is not the easiest nor most pleasant hill to ascend, at least not from this starting point. The ground is pathless and uniformly rough on the lower slopes and the general humidity and clamminess made it a rather unpleasant and sweaty affair. Higher up the going does become easier on short cropped grass and on a better day, the views would be very rewarding. On this day however, the weather really never got out of second gear and I only really got an impression of what it might be like on a clear day.

Very rough ground bypassing the lodges

Across Glen Loy to the Druim Fada

Back down to Inverskilavulin Lodges and across to the big Fort Bill hills

Marker cairn on the curving horseshoe ridge

Looking back along the ridge

Final approach to the summit

Loch Lochy

Loch Arkaig and the North Arkaig Corbetts and Grahams

Loch Lochy from the Corbett summit

Last summit pose of the trip

Once back down off the summit, the going became rough again with high ferns and uneven, tussocky ground. It was a blessed relief to get back to the car, hot, sweaty, tired and generally just in need of some good home comforts after four days on the road and the hill!

Falls on the descent

Druim Fada

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

[Owen b]

Did this one on a very changeable day in February 2016, the wind blowing frequent claggy squalls across the top but in between gloriously clear views over to the Nevis range and the Mamores. At the top we found a collie dog which was lost but full of beans and very pleased to see us. It obviously had not been by itself long. It accompanied us two thirds of the way down the hill, then picked up a scent and ran off. When we got back to the car we found a note under the windscreen wipers thanking us, it turned out it was from a local farm and it had been spotted by its owner who had binoculars and could see us coming off the hill.

I think the route on the map extract isn't quite right, it doesn't go to the trig point (which is at the highest point) which your photo shows that you did.

[Sunset tripper]

I think the route on the map extract isn't quite right, it doesn't go to the trig point (which is at the highest point) which your photo shows that you did.

Well spotted. Me and a pal did this hill a while back and we both thought the 771 spot was the summit until the cloud cleared and it clearly wasn't. We probably would have got there anyway because we knew where we were and were going to go past the trig anyway for a bit of variety but both of us for some reason had thought the trig point was lower.
Glen Loy is a great wee glen been up there a couple of times.

[Graeme D]

Did this one on a very changeable day in February 2016, the wind blowing frequent claggy squalls across the top but in between gloriously clear views over to the Nevis range and the Mamores. At the top we found a collie dog which was lost but full of beans and very pleased to see us. It obviously had not been by itself long. It accompanied us two thirds of the way down the hill, then picked up a scent and ran off. When we got back to the car we found a note under the windscreen wipers thanking us, it turned out it was from a local farm and it had been spotted by its owner who had binoculars and could see us coming off the hill.

I think the route on the map extract isn't quite right, it doesn't go to the trig point (which is at the highest point) which your photo shows that you did.

Serves me right for doing the map tracking at work and only half paying attention to what I was doing while talking to a colleague and trying to get it done before a class turned up! Now sorted!

[rockhopper]

I see you're also trying to catch up on WRs Does make for a nice shorter walk if lacking time or for adding on another the same day - at least you saw something from the top which was more than I did - cheers

[dogplodder]

Think the trick is to do this one early in the year before the bracken turns into a forest. I really enjoyed it on a clear day in April - even the ascent was fine!