Hill: Beinn Chuirn
Date: Friday 7 March 2008
Company: Just me (and for part of the way, a load of sheep)
Distance: 12km, Ascent: 700m
Time: 4h 15min
Weather: Heavy rain, blizzards and thunder and lightning

Parked at Tyndrum Lower Station where there is room for circa 12 cars (N.B. spaces are meant to be for the use of train passengers). Alternatively, can park and start from Dalrigh.

Lower Tyndrum Station Car Park:


From Tyndrum Lower Station I crossed the railway line and continued along a land-rover track for just over 2km through the forest. At the end of the forest the path joins a good track running alongside the River Cononish. As soon as I joined the track alongside the River Cononish a number of sheep started following me.

Initial following of sheep:


During the next 1.5km of walking, more and more sheep joined the group. By the time I reached Cononish I had circa 50 sheep following me. Shouting at them to 'go away' made absolutely no difference. At Cononish, I went through a gate and thankfully managed to leave the trail of sheep behind. However, I soon found out there were more sheep on the other side of the gate that also started following me.

Beinn Chuirn from near Cononish:


Eas Anie waterfall on Beinn Chuirn:


I continued along the track until reaching its highest point before leaving the path to head up the lower grassy slopes of Beinn Chuirn.

Beinn Chuirn from highest point on track:


After a hundred metres or so of ascent I crossed the snowline and continued on up the hill in increasingly bad conditions. Heavy rain and strong winds soon turned to blizzard and gale force winds. Didn't take any more photos until reaching the summit cairn.

Miserable weather conditions at summit of Beinn Chuirn:


I didn't think a still photo would give a true representation of conditions at the summit so I took a quick videoclip.

A hundred metres or so below the summit I stopped to take another photograph of the snowy landscape:


Was glad to get off the hill to the track alongside the river. Thankfully the sheep didn't follow me on the way back.

As I was walking along the track I heard a rumble. I thought to myself was that thunder? Wasn't convinced so just carried on walking. I then heard another rumble and again thought I was possibly hearing a train in the distance. Then an incredible flash followed closely by a really loud crack set me off running back along the track and then along the path through the forest back to the car getting pelted by hailstones in the process. Was quite scared being out with an ice axe and poles strapped to my rucksack. On reaching the car the rucksack got thrown in the boot and I quickly jumped inside. What a feartie!