I'm looking for a good hill day out on something nice / big that is not classified as a munro or corbett in the West Highlands.
I recently walked A'Chrois and Beinn Chorranach in the Arrochar area. Both great hills and no-one but me on them. Trying to keep off the honey pots.
Any other such hills?
It may be a Corbet, but in a similar area I've been up Beinn an Lochain three times now, never seen a soul apart from at the roadside.
Also, instead of West Highlands try Galloway hills, far quieter generally.
Been up that three times and camped on it once! It is a stunning hill, one of my favourites, and some great memories of a sunrise as me and my last dog descended the NE ridge.
The Brack and Ben Donich?
Both classified hills and done each twice / three times but The Brack worth considering as it has been nearly 8 years.
Great wee hills. I'm unsure of your criteria, what's "big" but not a Corbett?
Like the two i mention in the opening post. Both are corbett height but not classified as such due to nearby munros. As they are not officially corbetts, I had ignored them in my bagging days and it seems most others do to.
Might be a bit far up for you but Beinn Gharbh west of the Glenfinnan Coireachain isn't far off being a Corbett and is a cracking hill that hardly anybody climbs, in a fantastic wild area too.
A bit closer and not on the main lists, how about Clach Bheinn in Cowal, Beinn Ducteach at the head of Balquhidder, The Lurachan/Larachain lot in Glen Strae (especially Meall Garbh) or Beinn Mheadhonach on the N side of lower Loch Etive.
What about Beinn Reithe and the other bumps on the Coilessan peninsula? Good scenery there I would have thought.
Back in the 80's me and my pal Robin climbed a gully on A'Chrois with one axe between us, cutting steps. Brilliant day out.
Another good one would be the ridge that runs NE from Beinn Eunaich down at Dalmally. Meall Copagach and Beinn Lurachan in particular. I was looking along this ridge from further N a couple of years back and it looked brilliant.
See here:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1NbIo9CL_C8/Vwp_zydcWSI/AAAAAAAAOAk/EdNM...
That looks good but will keep till Kelp is fit and maybe add on a bothy night. Next winter i think.
Another grand looking route. Too far for me this weekend but now on my radar.
Wow that's gorgeous! Can you give more details?
Have you ever walked around the area south of Linlithgow?
This should take you to the bit of ridge in question:
The highest summit in the centre of the photo is Beinn Eunaich. Looks quite epic but I think it's just a walk. I still haven't got around to having a look!
How far south ???? You got the M8.
The Lurachan ridge fits in well doing Beinn Eunaich first - R to L in the pic. It's fairly broad but with great views northwards to the Blackmount & Etive hills. From Lurachan it's worth heading off northwards to take in Meall Garbh, which is a cracking little hill in a great wild area above Kinglass. I did Meall Buidhe to the NE too (not as good) before cutting back to Beinn Larachan and down its south shoulder into Glen Strae. I'm guessing Malky's pic is from Meall Garbh (it's of Copagach, Eunaich and the unnamed top between them). You're looking at around 20km, 1500m ish with Meall Garbh, maybe 15km without?
> I'm guessing Malky's pic is from Meall Garbh (it's of Copagach, Eunaich and the unnamed top between them).
Certainly is. Loads of other good stuff down Glen Kinglass - Beinn nan Lus is covered in lovely granite slabs, for example. It's an area I fully intend to go back to with my tent sometime.
Looking at 1:25000 maps, the SW ridge off Beinn Lurachan looks scrambley but fine. Not much on it on google but a report covering Meall Garbh from Sept 2017 by mountainsofscotland.co.uk.
Good estimate. Viewranger gives 13.5km excluding Meall Garbh. Total ascent 1,260m.
Cockleroy is a lovely wee lump of a hill up the back of Lithgae. Only 15 minutes from carpark to summit, amazing view over C Scotland, sometimes you can see Arran.
There's also Cairnpapple etc
If you're scrambling around Beinn nan Lus make sure you head north a bit and go up the S side of Stob an Duine Ruaidh, absolutely acres of lovely granite. Once got 2000ft of scrambling out of Albannaich too, starting up the stream from the lochan to the south. Also there's the gorge on Aighenan that the Dutch guy fell into and wasn't found for three weeks, until a flood swept him 1000ft down it and deposited him on the path. Haven't been into the latter but it has to be worth a look!
That's real isolated ground!
Is there a bridge near Loch Dochard over Abhainn Shira? My recollection is that the bridge is gone, having set out for the loch a few years back.
Haven't come in that way for 5 years or so, but no bridge rings a bell from then (low water so it was an easy hop). The last few times I've either come over the saddle east of Starav or along Loch Etive.
It's a brill area!
It is indeed a great viewpoint - I have been there several times and on one occasion saw Arran in the West and Bass Rock in the East - a Coast to Coast view.
You're getting me thinking of camping in there sometime. Looks like two great ridges up / down Albannaich.
Any idea what the SW ridge / shoulder of Aighenan is like?
Lots of good spots around for a wild camp (the corrie between Aignenan and Starav springs to mind). Only done the top half of the SW ridge, which was broad and rocky but walking rather than scrambling - I came down it until it flattens out then cut off westwards to go over to Beinn nan Lus. The Dutchman's gully is the stream that runs down the end of the spur. The E ridge is walking too, easy but very nice and spacious. There is a slabby rib on the NE face which is good low down then peters out into grass and blocks - easy to traverse to from the Aighenan/Glas Bheinn Mor col (cut down steeply early on to avoid craglets)
Near Lochgilphead, the walk south along Argyll's Bowling Green from Cnoc Coinnich to Beinn Reithe (mentioned by malky_c above) and the Saddle gives superb views and you’re unlikely to meet many other people. Clach Beinn at the end of the peninsula is probably worth adding on too.
The five peaks just north of Beinn Bheula also look like they’d make a good day out.
> Like the two i mention in the opening post. Both are corbett height but not classified as such due to nearby munros. As they are not officially corbetts, I had ignored them in my bagging days and it seems most others do to.
Pedants' Corner. They are not Corbetts because they do not have 500 feet prominence. Nothing to do with fact that they are near Munros. [Ime / Narnain]
If the munros were not there, there'd be a big hole and definitely a prominence!
"If the munros were not there, there'd be a big hole and definitely a prominence!"
If my auntie had balls she'd be my uncle.
> If my auntie had balls she'd be my uncle.
If it's me and your granny on bongos, it's The Fall.
> The five peaks just north of Beinn Bheula also look like they’d make a good day out.
I've walked the 3 N of Beinn Bheula. Starting at Lochgoilhead there is a fine anti-clockwise horseshoe of Stob na Boine Druim Fhinn, Beinn Tharsuinn [can be missed out] and Beinn Lochain. All 3 are just under Corbett height. In the forest below Tharsuinn there is a wreck of an aeroplane from WW2 + a memorial. Rough hills and tough walking.
Did the five N of Bheula once on a brilliant day with snow to the glen and the sea frozen at Lochgoilhead. As you say, rough hills. Only met one person - and it was Bill Murray. He grumped at me initially, something about not expecting to see anybody. I then detoured off to climb a minor gully and when we passed again he was quite chatty, presumably because I was now defined as "climber" rather than "intruder".
Done these as separate Grahams and camped on one or two and Beinn Bheula.
Nice hills with interesting features.
A few more ideas for you: some of these are Munro Tops by not much travelled.
Stob Garbh (Cruach Ardrain)
Meall na Dige and Stob Creagach (Stob Binnein)
East Tops of Sgiath Chuil
NE Tops of Beinn Bhuidhe (pt 901 and Ceann Garbh)
E ridge of Carn Mairg
Tops W of Meall Bhuidhe (Loch Lyon)
E Tops of Creagan na Beinne
W Tops of Stob Ghabhar
A’ Chailleach in Glen Coe
E Tops of Aonach Mor
Sgurr a Bhuic (Aonach Beag)
An Cearcallach and Meall Coire Choille-rais on Meagaidh
Beinn a’ Chumhainn, W of Ben Alder
Interestingly, Clach Glas is neither Munro , Corbett or Top but it makes a grand day out!