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Steven Fallon Scottish Mountain Routes
Steven Fallon Scottish Mountain Routes
 
  above loch eilt
corbetts Beinn Odhar Bheag (882m)
Beinn Mhic Cedidh (783m)

ascent 1350m (4,450ft)
distance   11.5km (7m)
time running : 2:30hr, walking : 5hr*
 *Naismith's rule : 4km/h distance + 600m/h ascent


These hills, with their grass covered slopes and occasional rocky outcrops, are typical of the area. What's not typical is there are no paths, old walls or rusty fence-posts to follow and aid navigation. Once up on these two corbetts, there is therefore a feeling of remoteness and adventure, even though you're never far away from the main road or railway connecting Mallaig with Fort William.






profile
location
start/finish Lay-by on A830 4km west of Glenfinnan
(grid ref : NM857813)

maps/guides  OS Landranger 40 - click to buy from Amazon OS Explorer 391 - click to buy from Amazon OS Explorer 398 - click to buy from Amazon Pocket Mountains - Classic Hill Runs and Races - click to buy from Amazon

GPX data download GPX file of this route

terrain
easy Grass, moss and boulders. Feels remote difficult
navigation
easy Pathless, no walls or fence-posts to follow anywhere testing
effort
stroll A pleasant afternoon jaunt long day
scenery
ok Fine views stunning
 
meanings Beinn Odhar Bheag :
    'little dun-coloured hill'
Beinn Mhic Cedidh :
    'MacCedidh's hill'
main route outline

Getting there
The A830 trunk road connects Mallaig with Fort William. At its highest point, 4km west of the village of Glenfinnan, there is a layby with a gate to the railway. There is space here for 4 or 5 cars.

Beinn Odhar Mhor
Through the gate, across the railway and around a fence, keep to the west of a burn and head south-west. The going underfoot can be a bit sodden at first as you cross over the rush and through occasional clumps of ferns. Turn west, keeping the burn on your left and follow a crest that rises and narrows. The crest gradually turns southwards as it climbs. Further up, the crags above Coire Odhar come into view - if you keep these well to your left (east), the terrain will be easier. Beinn Odhar Mhor is reached with its large cairn and broken trig-point.

Beinn Odhar Bheag
Even though Beinn Odhar Mhor has a large cairn, it's not a corbett - a bit more effort has to be put in ! From this summit aim south. The ground disappears as a sudden drop is reached - there is a gap just to the right. Follow the wide crest south, up over a bump, then south-west to the crags above dark Coire nan Clach. A faint path appears as the head of the coire is passed, then disappears on the last climb up Beinn Odhar Bheag. Beinn Odhar Bheag is one of those hills with several false summits, and the true summit only has a small cairn to distinguish it from the surrounding ground.

Beinn Mhic Cedidh
From Beinn Odhar Bheag's cairn, head north-west and start losing height. The route down over grass and occasional hidden boulders is obvious to the wide bealach. At the bealach, a fair, but easy slog up hill is directly ahead. This leads to the summit crest of Beinn Mhic Cedidh with its small pile of stones on the summit at the north-western end of the crest.

Return
You could head north from the summit, but this will leave you with a crossing of the Allt a'Choire Bhuidhe, which will be impossible to cross in spate until the railway is reached. Instead, from the summit, return to Bealach a'Choire Bhuidhe and on its easern bank, follow the Allt a'Choire Bhuidhe from 1km. At around c300m, contour around the hill and head for a waterfall and the top a track. A wooden bridge (not marked on OS Landranger) aids crossing above the waterfall, from where either head down the track to the railway, or preferably aim directly for your car in the lay-by. Both of these options will require some re-ascent !







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