KYQ4: Doune Hill and Beinn Eich

Sunday 26 February 2023

Doune Hill and Beinn Eich

Doune Hill looking north-west to Arrochar Alps

Saturday, 26 February 2023

Luss Hills

Ascent: 859 metres
Distance: 13 kilometres
Time: 3 hours 43 minutes

My third hill walk in four days since returning from London. Gregor was going on holiday the next day and had an injury that prevented him from running in the National Cross Country Championship so we arranged a short day in the Luss hills. I picked him up at the station in Balloch and we made the fifteen-minute journey to Luss and along the eponymous Glen with the intention of climbing the three Grahams at the head of this isolated glen. The narrow single-track road has few passing places and no apparent parking places. I tried to park on a grass verge near Glenmollochan but promptly gave up as the wheels sank into the soft ground. There was a private road ahead so I had to return and found a small space at the foot of the path to Mid Hill. We walked back to Glenmollochan and began the walk up a waterlogged track that had a gentle incline that followed the glen for 3 kilometres. We crossed the burn and began to climb.

The steep slopes of Doune Hill were ahead although the summit was not visible owing to the convex slopes towards the summit. Gregor forged ahead whilst I kept a more sedate pace as I ambled myself towards Hill Fitness. A cold northerly breeze had chilled Gregor who had been waiting at the summit. He set off for Cruachan t-Sithan, the second Graham that required a 250-metre descent and then a climb back to the long ridge that goes southeast from Beinn Lochain to Beinn Eich.

I decided to forego this extra leg of the walk in the knowledge that Gregor would get to Beinn Eich at the same time as myself. It would also give me ten minutes to have some food by the prominent trig point and take some photos. The view to the northwest was spectacular in the clear conditions and Arran and the Ailsa Craig were visible beyond the Firth of Clyde. These are excellent hills and seem to be free of visitors, whether that is because of their proximity to Glen Douglas or just the difficult access

It was a 220-metre climb to Beinn Eich over a fine grassy ridge, Gregor had caught me as we reached the summit. Loch Lomond was more prominent as we descended down grassy slopes that made for easy walking. A lone female runner was making the ascent of Beinn Eich, the only person we saw all day. The lower slopes were waterlogged and my footing gave way and I made an ungainly slide down the hillside. It was half a kilometre back to the car that remained the only car parked in the glen. I drove Gregor back to Glasgow and after changing from my wet clothes and a coffee I was home by 4:30pm