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| Beinn Sgulaird from Creach Beinn |
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| Beinn Sgulaird summit |
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| Loch Etive and Ben Cruachan |
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| Loch Creran and Mull beyond from Creich Beinn |
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| Creich Beinn plateau from the summit |
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| Looking north east to Ghlas Beinn from Creach Beinn |
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| Ben Cruachan from Creich Beinn |
Saturday, 21 April 2012
Distance: 16km
Ascent: 1450m
Time: 6hrs 16mins
Beinn Sgulaird 937m 2hrs 32mins
Creich Beinn 810m 4hrs 51mins
Beinn Sgulaird is one of those underrated hard to reach hills that is less well known than many lesser hills. It sits above Loch Creran with scintillating sea views down to the Sound of Mull and provides a balcony for viewing the iconic hills of the Western Highlands from Cruachan to Starav to Buchaille Etive Mor. The stereotypical April weather of the past week was persisting and the best place to escape the passing showers was in the far west. I suggested to John and Mark that we go to Beinn Sgulaird along with the adjacent Corbett, Creach Beinn, and this played well with my companions. I picked them up at 8am for the snaking drive through the Western Highlands to Loch Creran.
When we arrived there were three or four other groups ahead of us on the track through some woodland to the hills. We followed them up the track to a cairn at 170 metres that marked the start of a good path up the shoulder of Beinn Sgulaird. We made good time up the next 300 metres of ascent and I walked out to the summit of the outlier at 488m to take in the views down Loch Linnhe. There is a mini bealach here and then a further 350 metres of unrelenting steep slopes. The rain was threatening so we stopped to put on waterproofs as the skies darkened and the first drops of rain began. But we were in luck and after a brief passing shower, the rain passed. Mark had dug out an old red jacket and green waterproof trousers and he feigned anger when I described him as our Bulgarian friend for the rest of the day.
When we arrived there were three or four other groups ahead of us on the track through some woodland to the hills. We followed them up the track to a cairn at 170 metres that marked the start of a good path up the shoulder of Beinn Sgulaird. We made good time up the next 300 metres of ascent and I walked out to the summit of the outlier at 488m to take in the views down Loch Linnhe. There is a mini bealach here and then a further 350 metres of unrelenting steep slopes. The rain was threatening so we stopped to put on waterproofs as the skies darkened and the first drops of rain began. But we were in luck and after a brief passing shower, the rain passed. Mark had dug out an old red jacket and green waterproof trousers and he feigned anger when I described him as our Bulgarian friend for the rest of the day.
The summit was in the cloud and all the hills to the east were swathed in grey, an ominous sign as we climbed the two tops along the undulating and rock-strewn ridge before starting the final climb. We passed a couple of walkers on the ascent which is a deceptively long walk in. I had on previous visits usually battered up the side of Beinn Sgulaird from Elleric at the end of the road - a beast of a climb but fairly quick. As we reached the summit the clouds drifted away and we were able to view the hills to the west and north as they were exposed by the rising clouds.
We descended southwards to the bealach at 562metres, traversing to the east of the two tops of 848m and 863m that we had already been over on the ascent of Beinn Sgulaird. The final 230 metres of descent were down grassy and rocky slopes but by this time the hillside was being warmed by the lunchtime sun. We stopped briefly at the bealach to regroup before beginning the climb to Creach Beinn. There is a lovely ridge for a kilometre or so and then a stiffer climb through rocks to the vast summit plateau. John and I were walking well compared to our Bulgarian friend who, unusually, was lagging behind with sore ankles. The summit cairn was a relaxing place to take a snack, admire the sea views and reflect that this had been a good pairing of hills.
We crossed the plateau and then descended down the north-west ridge and dropped down through some steep grassy slopes to the glen that bisects Creach Beinn from Beinn Sgulaird. After crossing the Allt Buidhe, the track was above us at the point where we had left it in the morning on the path to Beinn Sgulaird. I was walking easily, my hill fitness regained from the three walks in the last week and probably helped by four long runs as well. I am hopeful for a good year on the Scottish hills following a couple of fallow years when Corsica, Majorca, the Lake District and Shetland have provided much of my walking. The contrast with these areas reminded me how wild, rugged, long, arduous and unpredictable days in the Scottish hills can be.
We descended southwards to the bealach at 562metres, traversing to the east of the two tops of 848m and 863m that we had already been over on the ascent of Beinn Sgulaird. The final 230 metres of descent were down grassy and rocky slopes but by this time the hillside was being warmed by the lunchtime sun. We stopped briefly at the bealach to regroup before beginning the climb to Creach Beinn. There is a lovely ridge for a kilometre or so and then a stiffer climb through rocks to the vast summit plateau. John and I were walking well compared to our Bulgarian friend who, unusually, was lagging behind with sore ankles. The summit cairn was a relaxing place to take a snack, admire the sea views and reflect that this had been a good pairing of hills.
We crossed the plateau and then descended down the north-west ridge and dropped down through some steep grassy slopes to the glen that bisects Creach Beinn from Beinn Sgulaird. After crossing the Allt Buidhe, the track was above us at the point where we had left it in the morning on the path to Beinn Sgulaird. I was walking easily, my hill fitness regained from the three walks in the last week and probably helped by four long runs as well. I am hopeful for a good year on the Scottish hills following a couple of fallow years when Corsica, Majorca, the Lake District and Shetland have provided much of my walking. The contrast with these areas reminded me how wild, rugged, long, arduous and unpredictable days in the Scottish hills can be.
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