Beinn a' Chaisteil (Auch)
Encyclopedia
Beinn a' Chaisteil is a mountain in the southern Highlands
of Scotland
, it is located 6.25 km north of Tyndrum
on the border of Perth and Kinross
and Argyll and Bute
council areas. This hill is not to be confused with another Beinn a' Chaisteil , above Loch Vaich in Highland
Council area.
and the 259th highest Marilyn
in the UK
. The mountain is well seen from the A82 road
at Auch where its western flank is seen as huge wall standing sentinel at the entrance to the Auch Glen. The West Highland Railway
travels across the base of the mountain on its western side as it loops dramatically over the Auch Glen and Glen Coralan on two viaducts. Beinn a' Chaisteil is usually climbed with the adjoining Beinn nam Fuaran to which it is joined by a col
with a height of 546 metres. Strong walkers will include the mountain in the traverse of the "Auch Corbetts", an 18 km walk with almost 2000 metres of ascent which takes in the four other Corbetts of Beinn Odhar
, Beinn Chaorach, Cam Chreag and Beinn nam Fuaran.
language as "Mountain of the Castle", a name which reflects the fortress like nature of its western flanks which fall steeply and rockily to the Auch Glen. The former spelling of Ben Achastle confirms that it is a name which goes well back into history. However the hills name may not just come from its physical appearance as W.J. Watson in his book "Circular Forts of North Perthshire" (1913) reveals that a circular fortification stood on one of the spurs of Beinn a' Chaisteil and the name may come from that. The fort has long since been obliterated by landslips but was the most westerly of over 20 forts which existed across northern Perthshire.
The western crags of Beinn a' Chaisteil are used for Winter ice climbing
with the main gully in the crag being first climbed in 1898. Another gully called Valkyrie has a Grade
IV rating and there are other routes of similar difficulty. The mountain stands on the main east - west watershed of Scotland with drainage going to the west coast via the River Orchy and to the east via the River Lyon and the River Tay
.
, the Scottish Gaelic poet who lived locally for part of his life. The mountain is mentioned in the "Song to The Gun Named Nic Coiseim"
to walk down to Auch. A direct ascent of Beinn a' Chaisteil is possible from the foot of the Auch Glen but this is a very steep climb on grass with a few crags higher up which can be avoided. A less strenuous alternative is to walk up the Auch Glen for 2.5 km to the ancient burial ground and then climb SE to the col between Beinn a' Chaisteil and Beinn nam Fuaran from where both hills can be climbed. As noted Beinn a' Chaisteil can be ascended as part of the round of the five Auch Corbetts and is the last hill of the day to be climbed.
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
of Scotland
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...
, it is located 6.25 km north of 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...
on the border of Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
and Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...
council areas. This hill is not to be confused with another Beinn a' Chaisteil , above Loch Vaich in Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
Council area.
Overview
Beinn a' Chaisteil reaches a height of 886 metres (2907 feet) making it the 39th highest CorbettHill lists in the British Isles
The mountains and hills of Great Britain, and to a lesser extent Ireland, are the subject of a considerable number of lists that categorise them by height, topographic prominence, or other criteria. They are commonly used as a basis for peak bagging, whereby hillwalkers attempt to reach all the...
and the 259th highest Marilyn
Marilyn (hill)
A Marilyn is a mountain or hill in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or Isle of Man with a relative height of at least 150 metres , regardless of absolute height or other merit...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The mountain is well seen from the A82 road
A82 road
The A82 is a trunk road in Scotland. It is the principal route from Lowland Scotland to the western Scottish Highlands, running from Glasgow to Inverness, going by Loch Lomond, Glen Coe and Fort William. It is the second longest primary A-road in Scotland after the A9, which is the other...
at Auch where its western flank is seen as huge wall standing sentinel at the entrance to the Auch Glen. The West Highland Railway
West Highland Railway
The West Highland Railway was one of the last main lines to be built in Scotland. It is one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, linking Fort William on the west coast to Glasgow. It was originally operated by the North British Railway.- History :...
travels across the base of the mountain on its western side as it loops dramatically over the Auch Glen and Glen Coralan on two viaducts. Beinn a' Chaisteil is usually climbed with the adjoining Beinn nam Fuaran to which it is joined by a col
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...
with a height of 546 metres. Strong walkers will include the mountain in the traverse of the "Auch Corbetts", an 18 km walk with almost 2000 metres of ascent which takes in the four other Corbetts of Beinn Odhar
Beinn Odhar
Beinn Odhar is a Scottish mountain situated at the northern extremity of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. It stands four km north of Tyndrum, a location with which it has strong ties, being well seen from the village...
, Beinn Chaorach, Cam Chreag and Beinn nam Fuaran.
Etymology
The mountains name translates from the GaelicScottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
language as "Mountain of the Castle", a name which reflects the fortress like nature of its western flanks which fall steeply and rockily to the Auch Glen. The former spelling of Ben Achastle confirms that it is a name which goes well back into history. However the hills name may not just come from its physical appearance as W.J. Watson in his book "Circular Forts of North Perthshire" (1913) reveals that a circular fortification stood on one of the spurs of Beinn a' Chaisteil and the name may come from that. The fort has long since been obliterated by landslips but was the most westerly of over 20 forts which existed across northern Perthshire.
Geography
Beinn a' Chaisteil is composed of two ridges which gives it a rough "L" shape, the SE ridge runs for two km to a col with a height of 419 metres which links to the adjacent Corbett of Cam Chreag. This ridge has steep crags on its western side and is scored by numerous gullies. The precipitous Coire Gaothach is situated just beneath the summit on this western side and is drained by the Allt Choire Gaothach which flows down to Glen Coralan to join the Allt Coralan. The NE ridge is broader than its counterpart and runs for 1.5 km to the Mam Lorn col (546 metres) which links to the Corbett of Beinn nam Fuaran.The western crags of Beinn a' Chaisteil are used for Winter ice climbing
Ice climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
with the main gully in the crag being first climbed in 1898. Another gully called Valkyrie has a Grade
Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
IV rating and there are other routes of similar difficulty. The mountain stands on the main east - west watershed of Scotland with drainage going to the west coast via the River Orchy and to the east via the River Lyon and the River Tay
River Tay
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay , in...
.
Literature
Beinn a' Chaisteil is mentioned in the work of Duncan Ban MacIntyreDuncan Bàn MacIntyre
Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir is one of the most renowned of Scottish Gaelic poets and formed an integral part of one of the golden ages of Gaelic poetry in Scotland during the 18th century...
, the Scottish Gaelic poet who lived locally for part of his life. The mountain is mentioned in the "Song to The Gun Named Nic Coiseim"
- I took thee to Ben Chaisteil,
- and to the moor adjoining it,
- the Mam and Creag an Aprain,
- on the flank of Ben nam Fuaran.
Ascents
The most popular starting point for the ascent of Beinn a' Chaisteil is Auch on the A82, however parking is extremely limited there and guide books recommend starting at a car park at at the head of the glen and using the West Highland WayWest Highland Way
The West Highland Way is a linear long distance footpath in Scotland, with the official status of Long Distance Route. It is 154.5km long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking in the route...
to walk down to Auch. A direct ascent of Beinn a' Chaisteil is possible from the foot of the Auch Glen but this is a very steep climb on grass with a few crags higher up which can be avoided. A less strenuous alternative is to walk up the Auch Glen for 2.5 km to the ancient burial ground and then climb SE to the col between Beinn a' Chaisteil and Beinn nam Fuaran from where both hills can be climbed. As noted Beinn a' Chaisteil can be ascended as part of the round of the five Auch Corbetts and is the last hill of the day to be climbed.