You won’t see Beinn Chabhair from the road at Inverarnan, the mountain only reveals
itself after a steep climb beside Ben Glas Burn.
Meaning - Hawk or Antler Mountain
Summit Location - NN36750, 17968
Height - 933m
Munro Number - 244
Distance - 12.6km
Total Ascent - 985m
Time - 3hrs up / 2hrs down
Difficulty - 2/5
OS Explorer Map - OL39
Climbed - 2013
Weather - Overcast with the cloud base just above the peak, lowering during descent.
Beinn Chabhair is a rather solitary Munro, to the south of the Crianlarich peaks
and to the northeast of the Arrochar Alps. Therefore it’s normally climbed on its
own, usually from Inverarnan on the main A82 road down in Glen Falloch.
You should be able to park close to the pub/hotel in Inverarnan, access to the hill
is by Beinglas Farm but there’s no parking there, so walking a short way along the
main road is usually necessary (though there’s a footpath). Once you’re through the
farm you’ll climb steeply by the Ben Glas Burn, passing a number of waterfalls. As
the contours ease you’ll continue to follow the burn for a couple of kilometres before
climbing steeply again to gain Beinn Chabhair’s broad and undulating west ridge.
Route
1 - Park at Inverarnan, then head north along the A82, crossing the River Falloch
at the access bridge for Beinglas Farm. Follow the marked path which detours around
the farm, then cross the West Highland Way to take the path that ascends the valley
wall in front of you.
2 - This path climbs steeply and ascends by the Ben Glas Burn. You’ll see waterfalls
on the way. As you hit the 300m contour the gradient ease. Continue to follow a less
obvious path eastwards, following the burn and over boggy ground.
3 - After 2km, shortly before you reach Lochan Beinn Chabhair you should see a faint
path climbing northwards towards Garbh Bhealach. Ascend this onto Beinn Chabhairs
broad and undulating west ridge. As you gain the ridge the path is more established.
You’ll need to follow this as it climbs first Meall nan Tarmachan and then Beinn
Chabhair, which lies about 1.5km away.
4 - Once at the summit, enjoy the views of the nearby peaks and lochs. Return by
route of ascent.
