[Trip Index] [Munro Index] [Home] 31st July 2005   Beinn Mhanach Map Today I was feeling too drained from the previous day's exertions to carry out my original plan and do the Glen Cannich 4. Instead I decided to travel south and do this isolated one, saving a bit on the travelling I'd have to do the following day. I had a bit of cereal at the hostel and drove down to Tyndrum where I got a first-class vegetarian breakfast at the Green Welly. It was double egg, beans, mushrooms, tomatos, potato cake, toast and coffee and I felt a lot better with that clinging to my ribs. It was a warm, sunny day now as I drove back up the road to Auch. There I continued on along the private road - you're not supposed to but it saved quite a bit of distance and some uphill slogging at the end of the trip and I was still fragile enough from the day before for that to matter. I parked unchallenged at the end of this road, just before it crosses the West Highland Way, and quickly booted up and set off up the glen at 11.50. It's a very pleasant walk up the Auch Gleann, a barely discernible gradient and the land was looking at its best. The sun shone and the grass was so incredibly, brilliantly green and fresh, everywhere you looked. Beautiful. Setting off up Auch Gleann   The twin peaks of Beinn a Chuirn and Beinn Mhanach After about 3 miles I passed the sheep-shearing shed which used to be home to Duncan Ban MacIntyre, the 18th century Gaelic bard (I got this from Cameron's book but it was interesting to know) He composed a poem to the fox, 'Oran Nam Balgairean' which includes the lines:         'My blessing be upon the foxes, because that they hunt the sheep,         The sheep with the brockit faces that have made confusion in all the world' Referring to the Highland Clearances presumably. Ironic the use to which his croft is being put now. Fair Duncan's croft By 1.20 I was at the base of Beinn Mhanach, a great grassy mound marginally higher than its nearer, similarly shaped neighbour, Beinn a Chuirn. I then faffed about for 10 minutes wondering which side of the stream to go up - it's the left side. The ascent was an even gradient, steep enough to gain height fairly quickly but not so steep that it knackered you. The hill is completely grass-covered apart from the summit plateau which has a few stones scattered around. It's a broad, rounded summit with good views of the surrounding peaks. I got to the top at 2.55. Climbing the hillside   Looking silly at the top of Beinn Mhanach after the wind blew my hat up It didn't look too onerous so I decided to walk across to the top of Beinn a Chuirn, just a gentle drop down to the broad col and from there an easy walk up to the top. I left the top of Beinn a Chuirn at 3.45 and after a steep, grassy descent reached the cart-track at 4.30. Then it was a simple walk back to the car (5.40). I couldn't find anywhere to stay in Crianlarich but a bit further south I came upon MacGregor's Landing at the northern end of Loch Lomond: £25 + £4 for continental breakfast. It was good basic accommodation. Drove home the next day.