Get Lost Mountaineering

Glas Bheinn from A894 via NW ridge

Start/Finish

Small layby (holds about 2 cars) at the signpost for the start of stalkers path on A894 at NC 238 284. This is about 4 miles south of Kylesku Bridge and about 3 miles of Skiag Bridge which is where the A894 leaves the A837 Ullapool to Lochinver road.

Distance/Time

12 km.    About 3 – 4 hours

Peaks

Glas Bheinn, 776 m, NC 254 264.      OS map 15: Loch Assynt.

Introduction

Some guidebooks dismiss this hill as uninteresting which seems very unfair. It is a lovely hill with a pleasant mixture of grass and rock and no long boulder fields. The NW ridge is a delight to walk along and there is a path virtually all the way. Glas Bheinn is of similar height to Quinag (across the road) and gives excellent views to it as well as Beinn Leoid, Canisp, Suilven, Conival, Ben More Assynt and Breabag. It is a good alternative on a windy day as there is little exposure and the summit area offers shelter from strong winds.

Route

(1) Walk ESE along the path from the signpost for about 200 m then turn right, S, onto another path. Follow this to a small cairn where a faint path heads up towards a shallow green gully leading to the crest. In clear weather, this gully is well seen from the start. The path up the gully is quite distinctive with many tiny zig-zags. Higher up, the path appears to split. The right grassy alternative seems easier than the stony alternative. There is a small cairn when the crest is reached which is quite stony to begin with. The crest goes S then SE over several shoulders. There is a faint traverse path on the left side, N, of the first shoulder. There is a fairly obvious path up most of the ridge. In clear weather, a medium cairn is seen on the highest point of the crest which overlooks the steep sided corrie. Reach this. It isn't the summit which is set back about 350 m from the edge and surrounded by a small boulder field. The large cairn marks the summit of Glas Bheinn, 776 m. There is a sort of shelter cairn adjacent to the summit cairn.

(2) Retrace outward route and enjoy the views of Quinag.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 23^rd June, 2017, and about 20 years earlier.