Get Lost Mountaineering

Beinn Suidhe from Victoria Bridge

Start/Finish

Victoria Bridge car park (just before the actual bridge) which lies at the end of the A8005 minor road to Forest Lodge and Victoria Bridge. This road leaves the A82, Crianlarich to Fort William road at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel.

Distance/Time

13 km       About 5 - 6 hours.

Peaks

Beinn Suidhe, 676 m, NN 211 400.      OS sheet 50.

Introduction

Surprisingly, this is not a very popular walk despite there being excellent views especially to Beinn nan Aighenan, Ben Starav, Glas Bheinn Mhor, Stob Coir'an Albannaich, Meall nan Eun, Stob Ghabhar and Stob a' Choire Odhair. There are good tracks and paths to and from the foot of this mountain but little in the way of paths on the mountain itself. If wanting to cycle in then only the right of way from Victoria Bridge to Glen Kinglass can be cycled as the return route, as described below, has high locked gates which it will be very difficult to lift bicycles over.

Route

(1) Walk out of the car park and continue up the road, crossing Victoria Bridge. Just before Forest Lodge, a sign indicates a right of way to Loch Etive using a track on the left. Walk along this track, following the river, until the green bothy is reached by the Allt Toaig in the gap between the two forests. Continue ahead on the track but leave it at the footpath sign and follow the path along the bank of the Abhainn Shira until the track from Clashgour is met after about 2 km. If cycling, stay on the track and go through Clashgour to reach this point. The Clashgour track crosses the river by a ford. If the river is high, continue to the bridge about 1 km further upstream. After the ford, the same river is crossed by stepping stones of boulders. Continue on the track and cross the tributary just after the wood. The bridge mentioned above should now be visible. Pick a way, over slightly rough ground, on to a low ridge which soon has a deer fence on its right. Keep the fence on your right and follow it to the right of another ridge directly ahead. A cluster of overgrown boulders can be aimed for. Keep going and head for the furthest, and grassiest, ridge coming down from Beinn Suidhe. Pick a way up this on reasonable ground. Higher up, some weaving around will be necessary to avoid crags but there are quite a few animal tracks which can be followed from time to time. Eventually, the angle eases and you emerge on the NE top of Beinn Suidhe. There is no cairn. Walk SSW, over gently undulating ground which may be confusing in mist, to reach the medium cairn which marks the summit of Beinn Suidhe, 676 m.

(2) Retrace to the shallow dip between the summit and the NE top keeping to the right of the crest where a shallow grassy “gully” leads down to the “bealach”. From here, make a gradual descending traverse across the E flank of Beinn Suidhe aiming for the lower section of its E ridge below the NE top. Keep an eye on the strip of land going into the forestry across the Allt Suil na Curra as this is the return track. Once on this E ridge, walk roughly ENE over rough ground and descend to the Allt Suil na Curra. Cross over and walk to the deer fence where a fixed gate has to be climbed over to gain access to the forest. There is a faint path almost immediately and it soon develops into a forestry track. Follow this, ignoring any turnings, until it emerges from the forest at a high locked gate which has to be climbed over. Continue to another such gate and enter another forestry area where the track soon swings around to the right. Do not go left at a junction onto a minor track. Follow the track round and out of the forest then back to the start.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 23^rd May, 2009, and on 3^rd May, 2014.

(b) If the recommended ascent looks too steep then weave a way up the NE ridge of Beinn Suidhe to its NE top. This is a mixture of grass and rock.