Ben Cruachan

Details for Ben Cruachan

Ben Cruachan [8] as the name suggest with a cruachan being a conical shaped hill on top of a broader mountian mass. Its summit [9] peak is one of the finest and most well know of the scottish hills in the area comparable with Bidean nam Bian [10] and Ben Nevis [11] and also the highest point in  Argyll and Bute . It's bounded between Loch Awe & Pass of Bander on the south , and Glen [12] Noe one the north which leads into Etive [13]. The mountain is a ridge [14] that runs from east to south and the peak "Ben Cruachan" is formed classicaly from 4 ridges. The ridge itself contains 7 tops in total with the Cruachan summit point  situated in the western section of the ridge and another munro Stob Diamh [15] on the eastern section. Its northen slopes fall very steeply into 2 wild corries, Coire [16] Chat & Coire Caorach which are separated by the northern ridge.

Cruachan's perhaps most famous feature "Cruachan Reservoir"  which feeds the power station below is situated on the eastern end of the ridge on the south enclosed by 2 southern ridges forming Coire Cruachan.

Usual acess is from the A85 road from the Cruachan Power Station situated in the Pass of Bander. Not that it's not allowed to park in the Visitor Centre car park. Head under the railway bridge climbing steeply up to the southern end of the reservoir where south eastern ridge of Meall [17] Cuanail can be climbed which gives access to the rocky southern ridge of Cruachan. Descent can be by the same way of ascent but is usually combined with Stob Diamh [15] on the eastern end thus completing a full traverse [18] of the so call Cruachan Horseshoe completing many of the peaks on the ridge.

From the summit there are views

• along  the ridge to Stob Diamh on the east
• on the north over to Etive [13] including  Ben Starav [19] and Beinn [7] Trilleachan
• right along Loch Awe on the south