Beinn Dubhchraig
Encyclopedia
Beinn Dubhchraig is a Scottish
mountain that is situated eight kilometres west of Crianlarich
in the northern part of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
.
, 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
. The hills name translates as Mountain of the Black Rock, this refers to the steep and rocky face on the mountains south west slopes above Loch Oss which offer scrambling routes to the summit.
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 saxifrage
s grow in abundance. Large herds of deer
can be found in the corrie
s around the mountain.
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. 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.
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. 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.
and Stob Binnein
are well seen to the south east.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
mountain that is situated eight kilometres west of Crianlarich
Crianlarich
Crianlarich is a village in the Stirling district and registration county of Perthshire, Scotland, about six miles north-east of the head of Loch Lomond...
in the northern part of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond, and includes several ranges of hills, the Trossachs being the most famous...
.
Overview
The mountain reaches a height of 978 metres and therefore qualifies as a MunroMunro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
, 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
Tyndrum
Tyndrum is a small village in Scotland. Its Gaelic name translates as "the house on the ridge". It lies in Strathfillan, at the southern edge of Rannoch Moor.The village is notable mainly for being at an important crossroads of transport routes...
and Crianlarich
Crianlarich
Crianlarich is a village in the Stirling district and registration county of Perthshire, Scotland, about six miles north-east of the head of Loch Lomond...
. The hills name translates as Mountain of the Black Rock, this refers to the steep and rocky face on the mountains south west slopes above Loch Oss which offer scrambling routes to the summit.
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 LuiBen Lui
Ben Lui is a mountain in the southern Highlands of Scotland, at the head of Glen Fyne. It has five well-defined ridges radiating out from the summit...
and Ben Oss
Ben Oss
Ben Oss is a Scottish mountain situated in the Stirling Council area, six kilometres south west of the village of Tyndrum within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.- Overview :...
) and the Corbett Beinn Chuirn
Beinn Chùirn
Beinn Chùirn is a Scottish hill situated five kilometres west-southwest of Tyndrum, it stands on the border of Stirlingshire and Perthshire at the northern extremity of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.- Overview :...
. The glen of Cononish and the four mountains make up the Ben Lui National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserves in Scotland
National Nature Reserves in Scotland are established by Scottish Natural Heritage. Until 2004 there were 73 National Nature Reserves in Scotland, as per the list below...
, 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 saxifrage
Saxifrage
Saxifraga is the largest genus in the family Saxifragaceae, containing about 440 species of Holarctic perennial plants, known as saxifrages. The Latin word saxifraga means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin + ...
s grow in abundance. Large herds of deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
can be found in the corrie
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
s around the mountain.
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. 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
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
wood of Coille Coire Chuilc, part of the former Caledonian Forest
Caledonian Forest
The Caledonian Forest is the name of a type of woodland that once covered vast areas of Scotland. Today, however, only 1% of the original forest survives, covering in 84 locations. The forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife, much of which is not found elsewhere in the British...
. These northern foothills of the mountain were once heavily mined for lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
and there are still prominent scars on the hillside. The Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.-Origins:...
wrecked the mine workings in 1745 as they were then owned by a prominent Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
Sir Robert Clifton. The mine workings closed eventually in 1923.
Beinn Dubhchraig is linked to the adjacent Munro of Ben Oss, which lies two kilometres to the west, by the Bealach Buidhe
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
which has a height of 779 metres. The ridge down to the bealach is broad and holds a few small lochans within the schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
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. 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 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. 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 MoreBen More (Crianlarich)
Ben More is a mountain in the southern Highlands of Scotland, near Crianlarich. It is the highest of the so-called Crianlarich Hills to the south-east of the village, and there is no higher land in the British Isles south of Ben More...
and Stob Binnein
Stob Binnein
Stob Binnein is a mountain in the southern Highlands of Scotland, near Crianlarich. It forms a twin-peak with Ben More, from which it is separated by the Bealach-eadar-dha Beinn, meaning pass between two hills....
are well seen to the south east.