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peaks






ascent
distance
time

start/finish
maps
Beinn Dubhchraig (978m, Munro 175)
Ben Oss (1029m, Munro 101)
Ben Lui (1130m, Munro 28)
Beinn a'Chleibh (916m, Munro 281)

Beinn Chuirn (880m, Corbett)

1700m (5,600ft)
18.5km (11.5m)
3:05hr

Dalrigh on A82 (NN 343 292)
OS landranger 50
main route summary 
A good track in and grassy ridges make for excellent running over four munros. Ben Lui is a spectacular mountain with excellent views and due to its shape, is easily identified from other peaks. The route is finished off with a brilliant run down through muck, forest and water.

main route outline
The route described aims steeply up to the ridge, turns west, bags the two munro peaks and scrambles over the Am Fasarinen Pinnacles, before turning on scree back down to the road.

Beinn Dubhchraig
On the A82/A85, 1km south east of Tyndrum, there is a junction is marked Dalrigh, turn in here and sharp turn left into a large car-park. Aim westwards along a good track, initially past some houses. Turn right, keeping to main track, over a wooden bridge, past the junction with the West Highland Way and under the railway bridge. Follow track for 3km until just before the green buildings of Cononish are reached, where there is a bridge over the River Cononish. Go across this bridge and aim south uphill over wet grassy ground. After crossing a fence line and 300m of ascent the gradient easies and Beinn Dubhchraig comes into view. Continue uphill on grassy ground following the occasional iron fence post to reach the lochans at 900m. Turn south east and follow path over some boudlers to Beinn Dubhchraig's cairn. The view south down to the hills around Loch Lomond is particularly lovely.

Ben Oss
Return to the lochans and follow path around the s side of the lochans. Aiming west, the path zig-zags through boudlers down to the bealach. The path then widens, but travels over lower ground, therefore at some point leave it and aim uphill over grassy ground to reach the northern shoulder of Ben Oss. The last section prior to the summit is an easy trudge over fine gravel. From the summit, it still seems a long way to Ben Lui !

Ben Lui
From Ben Oss, initially aim s, following a faint path over grass and occasional boulders. Gradually the path, which disappears now and then, turns w and the wet ground of the bealach at the head of Coire Laoigh is reached. The path becomes more obvious as the bealach is crossed and starts to climb and turn north. At around 1000m, there is a path heading north east, this is an exit route down Ben Lui's e shoulder, there is some plane wreckage down here. On approaching Ben Lui's summit the ground becomes more bouldery and is a place to take great care especially in windy conditions. Stop here for a while and take in the views and, if in winter, watch the climbers coming up Coire Gaothach.

Beinn a'Chleibh
Aim nw towards the ne top, then turn wsw downhill.The ground initially is loose, then grassy and possibly wet and slippy. Follow a well defined path scarred up the north eastern arm of Beinn a'Chleibh. This munro has a small cairn and some fine views out towards Ben Cruachan.

Return
Return to the bealach, then follow the initially steep path into Fionn Choirein. Leaving the boulders behind, the ground becomes grass covered but can be extremely wet. The run down into and through the forest is fast and great fun - expect to get mud covered ! Cross the Eas Daimh which can be tricky in spate, then cross the railway. Wade across the River Lochy - an opportunity to clean the muck off ! Reach the car-park where you've hopefully arranged a lift or left a bike to get back to Dalrigh.

OS 1:50000 and 1:25000 maps are here


Ben Lui area weblinks
Get the local area weather forecast here
The nearest mountain webcam is at Glencoe Ski Centre
Fuel, food and supplies at the Greenwelly in Tyndrum
"The Real Food" cafe in Tyndrum website is here
The West Highland Way crosses this route, here is the website
Accommodation in a wigwam ? Try Strathfillan Wigwams


alternative
The main route described assumes you've arranged transport to get back to Dalrigh. If you haven't, then here's a variation on this route, which also has the advantage of being able to use a bike to cycle to Cononish.

Starting and finishing from Dalrigh
Taking a bike, cycle from Dalrigh to Cononish. Climb up Beinn Dubhchraig and continue over Ben Oss to reach the bealach between Ben Oss and Ben Lui as described on left. Start up Ben Lui, then at around 800m, contour on the western slopes over grass covered ground to reach the bealach between Ben Lui and Beinn a'Chleibh. Follow a well defined path scarred up the north east arm of Beinn a'Chleibh to the summit cairn. Return to the bealach then haul yourself up Ben Lui's western slopes. From Ben Lui's summit aim south east to around 1000m and look for a path down off to the left, this may well be corniced over in winter. Take this path, which follows the north east ridge off Ben Lui, down to a sheiling and the Allt an Rund. Cross the burn, and pick up the track which travels to Cononish. Pick up your bike and cycle back to Dalrigh.


add in a Corbett
Just to the north of Ben Lui is Beinn a'Chuirn, a shapely Corbett, not far short of Munro height. After rainfall, water heads down via the lovely Eas Anie waterfall to the south of the old gold mine above Cononish. You can still try panning for gold here !

Biking in from Dalrigh
Cycle from Dalrigh to Cononish as already described. Continue on the track past the Cononish green buildings to cross a burn. Leave bikes here, and continue west up wet grassy ground. At around c550m, turn north-west and cross the burns well above the Eas Anie waterfall. Continue up the south-east arm of Beinn Chuirn to the summit. Return by the same route.

Instead of returning, you could continue onto the other munro tops by heading south-west to the top of Garbh Choirean, then south downhill to the bealach below Ciochan Beinn Laoigh. From there slog up the north-west ridge of Ben Lui to its summits.

ben lui munros