Weather/Conditions: Nice evening, cold on top but benign.
Distance/Ascent/Time: 8.7km / 630m / 4h 25m
Accompanying: Kate

Beinn na Gucaig is a Graham on the banks of Loch Linnhe, a large mass of upland which is surprisingly tucked out of sight given it's position above the A82. This seclusion might be a reason as to why I'd not climbed it until now - not to mention the fact I have lived just across the loch for nearly a year now.

I went with Kate, who was good for getting me moving. A cold was dragging me down, but it is worth getting out for something, otherwise you're sitting in all day...



The obvious place to start was Inchree where there is parking and a set of signposted forest walks. Snow was lying to sea level, and we would follow the forestry tracks for only a short time before striking off up the moorland.

A long ridge rises gently to the north-west culminating first in a subsidiary top, then the main summit. The ridge itself is nice terrain for walking, but the initial slopes were all sinking grass and rough moorland; hollows and holes all hidden under the snow. We gained the ridge in time, I got a nice phone call from Steve too.



A good view of Ardgour opens up from this hill, much more visible than Glen Coe which is tucked away to the south-east. I must get over to Ardgour soon; there are so many brilliant mountain days to be done there soon. But for now, Kate and I were in no rush, and as the sun sank in the southern skies we plodded over the tops to the main summit. It was so worth coming out in spite of my lethargy, I felt brilliant now. It turns out a gentle hillwalk is great for getting you through a cold!



We headed down in gathering darkness, and just avoided getting headtorches out for the final stretch to the car.

So that was Beinn na Gucaig, a leg stretch on a hill I have meant to climb for quite a while now! I am running out of hills in the local area - maybe that's alright, I'm intending to move nearer to Fort William in the coming months, we'll see.

360° Panorama

Beinn na Gucaig