M101 | 1029 m. | 3376 ft.
Translation: Loch-outlet hill
Pronuncation: byn oss

In stark contrast to their famous neighbour Beinn Laoigh these two Munros permitted us to enjoy a sunny and warm day on their ridges. We had spent the night in Crianlarich and wanted to climb two Munros en route before moving into our base for the week, a cottage in Invergarry. After a good Scottish breakfast in the Crianlarich Hotel we drove the few miles to Dalrigh and left our faithful car in the large parking provided for the hillwalkers.

The bridge over the River Fillan and the landrover track leading west by the railtracks delivered us at another bridge, this time over the railway line. Immediately after the bridge we left the landrover track, crossed the Allt Gleann Auchreoch and followed the path on the left bank of the burn. The continuation was quite beautiful. Old trees, dry and wet meadows on the bank of the tumbling burn, sunshine and a meandering path allowed us to gradually gain height. When we reached more open land we passed a plantation of fir trees and then steadily climbed towards the northeast ridge of Beinn Dubhchraig.

Soon we reached the summit of the first Munro and enjoyed the views for a while. Then it was back to the beallach between Beinn Dubhchraig and Ben Oss from where we contoured around the southwest face of Beinn Oss and finally climbed the second Munro by its steepisch south ridge. Maybe an unusual way of approching the hill but the views of Loch Oss and Coire Garbh compensated for the extra kilometre or two of walking. At the summit of Beinn Oss we paused for a snack and the vies of Beinn Lui. Very nice indeed!

But we did not linger for very long because we still had to buy provisions for the week in Fort William. Walking down the interesting and rocky northeast ridge of Ben Oss we used some snowfields to speed up our progress towards the beallach below. From the beallach we climbed up the steep western ridge of Beinn Dubhchraig until we reached the little lochan 100m below the summit. From there we retraced our way of ascent, down open slopes, through old forest – where we found an ice axe presumably lost in winter – and along the railway line all the way to Dalrigh. There we gave the axe to a fellow walker who said his nephew had lost an axe on the hill a few months ago. Who knows, maybe this was a lucky conincidence? For Frank and me it had been a very nice day in the hills, with sunburn developing on my arms: Scotland in May 2010 was generous to us!


Description These two mountains stand on the south side of Strath Fillan, several kilometres west of Crianlarich. They form the eastern half of the Ben Lui range. There is a good view of them from the north end of Loch Lomond, Ben Oss appearing as a conical hill and Beinn Dubhchraig showing the crags on its south side. The traverse of the two hills starts from Dalrigh in Strath Fillan and goes through the remnant of the Old Caledonian Forest at the foot of Coire Dubhchraig. Continue up a path beside the Allt Coire Dubhchraig to the open upper corrie and bear south up steepening grassy slopes to reach the summit of Beinn Dubhchraig. To continue the traverse, descend north-west along a broad ridge past a tiny lochan to the col between the two hills. Climb west then south-west to the summit of Ben Oss. To return to Dalrigh, retrace the route to the tiny lochan and from there go north-east down Coire Dubhchraig to rejoin the uphill route.