Beinn Dubhchraig
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Beinn Dubhchraig | |
|---|---|
 Beinn Dubhchraig seen from Ben Oss across Coire Garbh and Loch Oss. |
|
| Elevation | 978 m (3209 ft) |
| Location | Stirlingshire,  Scotland |
| Range | Grampians |
| Prominence | 199 m |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 50, OS Explorer 364 |
| OS grid reference | NN308254 |
| Listing | Munro, Marilyn |
| Translation | Mountain of the Black Rock (Gaelic) |
| Pronunciation | [Ben Doo-Craig[1]] |
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. The mountain reaches a height of 978 metres and therefore qualifies as a Munro, 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[2]. The hills name translates as Mountain of the Black Rock[3] or Black Rock Hill[4].
[edit] 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 Lui and Ben Oss) and the Corbett Beinn Chuirn. The Cononish valley 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 saxifrages grow in abundance. Large herds of deer can be found in the corries around the mountain[5].
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[6]. 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[7].
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. 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 Corrie Buidhe which has a very steep headwall which prevents a direct descent from the bealach down to the Cononish valley to the north[8]. 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.
[edit] Ascents
The ascent of Beinn Dubchraig starts from the hamlet of Dalrigh on the A82 at grid reference NN343292 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[9]. 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 More and Stob Binnein are well seen to the south east.
[edit] References
- The Munros, Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 1986, Donald Bennett (Editor) ISBN 0 0907521 13 4
- The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland, Diadem, 1993, Irvine Butterfield, ISBN 0 906371 30 9
- 100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains, Warner Books, 1992, Ralph Storer, ISBN 0 7515 0300 2
- Hamish’s Mountain Walk, Baton Wicks, 1996, Hamish Brown, ISBN 1 898573 08 5
- The Munros Almanac, Neil Wilson Publishing, 1991, Cameron McNeish, ISBN 1 897784 01 5
Footnotes
- ^ "The Munros Almanac" Page 19 (Gives Pronunciation).
- ^ "The Munros" Page 20 (From Strathfillan … Shows whole of its northern flank).
- ^ "The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland" Page 318 (Give translation as “Mountain of the Black Rock“).
- ^ "The Munros" Page 20 (Gives translation as “Black Rock Hill“).
- ^ Ben Lui NNR website. Gives info on National Nature Reserve.
- ^ "100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains" Page 28 (Easy access to hill).
- ^ "Hamish‘s Mountain Walk" Pages 79 & 80 (Gives info pine forest and lead mining).
- ^ "The Munros" Pages 20 (Details steepness of Coire Buidhe).
- ^ "The Munros Almanac" Page 19 (Gives Route of Ascent).
