Beinn Dubhchraig

Beinn Dubhchraig (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Dubh-chreig) is a Scottish mountain eight kilometres west of Crianlarich in the northern part of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

Beinn Dubhchraig
Beinn Dubhchraig seen from Ben Oss across Coire Garbh and Loch Oss.
Highest point
Elevation	978 m (3,209 ft) [1]
Prominence	199 m (653 ft)
Parent peak	Ben Oss
Listing	Munro, Marilyn
Naming
English translation	Mountain of the Black Rock
Language of name	Gaelic
Pronunciation	Scottish Gaelic: [peɲ ˈt̪uxɾʲekʲ] (listen)
Geography
Location	Stirlingshire, Scotland
Parent range	Grampians
OS grid	NN308254
Topo map	OS Landranger 50, OS Explorer 364

Overview

The mountain reaches a height of 978 metres and therefore qualifies as a Munro, however it is overshadowed by many higher mountains in the area although it is well seen from the main A82 road in Strath Fillan between Tyndrum and Crianlarich.[2] The hills name translates as Mountain of the Black Rock,[3] this refers to the steep and rocky face on the mountains south west slopes above Loch Oss which offer scrambling routes to the summit.[4]

Geography and Biology

Beinn Dubhchraig stands in a group of mountains which rise around the headwaters of the River Cononish and includes two other Munros (Ben Lui and Ben Oss) and the Corbett Beinn Chuirn. The glen of Cononish and the four mountains make up the Ben Lui National Nature Reserve, an area which attracts many biologists who come to study the profusion of mountain plants which grow on the moist rocky cliffs and outcrops. The soil in the reserve is of low acidity and saxifrages grow in abundance. Large herds of deer can be found in the corries around the mountain.[5]

The mountain stands in an area that has always been popular for hill walking, even before the advent of the motor car, Tyndrum’s two railway stations gave easy access to these hills.[6] Beinn Dubhchraig’s best topographic feature is its northern corrie which forms a large basin between the north and north east ridges, the corrie is drained by the Allt Coire Dubchraig which flows north east to join the River Fillan. At the foot of the northern corrie are remnants of an old Scots Pine wood of Coille Coire Chuilc, part of the former Caledonian Forest. These northern foothills of the mountain were once heavily mined for lead and there are still prominent scars on the hillside. The Clan Campbell wrecked the mine workings in 1745 as they were then owned by a prominent Jacobite Sir Robert Clifton. The mine workings closed eventually in 1923.[7]

Beinn Dubhchraig is linked to the adjacent Munro of Ben Oss, which lies two kilometres to the west, by the Bealach Buidhe which has a height of 779 metres. The ridge down to the bealach is broad and holds a few small lochans within the schist rock hollows. There are corries to both the north and south of the bealach. Coire Garbh to the south holds Loch Oss, a sheet of water measuring roughly 500 metres by 300 metres with a small island located within it. To the north of the bealach is Coire Buidhe which has a very steep headwall which prevents a direct descent from the bealach down to the Cononish valley to the north.[8] To the east, Beinn Dubhchraig falls to the valley of Gleann Auchreoch, much of these lower eastern slopes were planted with conifers in the early 1970s and have become an obstacle to approaches to the mountain from that direction.

Ascents

The ascent of Beinn Dubchraig starts from the hamlet of Dalrigh on the A82 at grid reference NN343292 and takes the track which crosses the railway and follows the Allt Coire Dubchraig through the wood. The track becomes more muddy and crosses three deer fences by stiles to reach the open mountainside from where it is possible to ascend the northern corrie direct to reach the summit plateau just to the north west of the highest point.[9] Beinn Dubhchraig is often climbed in conjunction with some or all of the mountains around the Cononish valley. The view from the summit gives fine views of the mountains of Breadalbane to the west and the twin Munros of Ben More and Stob Binnein are well seen to the south east.

References

• The Munros, Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 1986, Donald Bennett (Editor) ISBN 0-907521-13-4
• The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland, Diadem, 1993, Irvine Butterfield, ISBN 0-906371-30-9
• 100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains, Warner Books, 1992, Ralph Storer, ISBN 0-7515-0300-2
• Hamish’s Mountain Walk, Baton Wicks, 1996, Hamish Brown, ISBN 1-898573-08-5
• The Munros Almanac, Neil Wilson Publishing, 1991, Cameron McNeish, ISBN 1-897784-01-5
• In the Hills of Breadalbane, Hale, 1954, V.A. Firsoff,

Footnotes

1. "walkhighlands Beinn Dubhchraig". walkhighlands.co.uk. 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
2. "The Munros" Page 20 (From Strathfillan … Shows whole of its northern flank).
3. "The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland" Page 318 (Give translation as “Mountain of the Black Rock“).
4. "In the Hills of Breadalbane" Page 121 Gives meaning of translation.
5. Ben Lui NNR website. Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine Gives info on National Nature Reserve.
6. "100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains" Page 28 (Easy access to hill).
7. "Hamish‘s Mountain Walk" Pages 79 & 80 (Gives info pine forest and lead mining).
8. "The Munros" Pages 20 (Details steepness of Coire Buidhe).
9. "The Munros Almanac" Page 19 (Gives Route of Ascent).