Ben More and Stob Binnein (Spring)

PLEASE NOTE: The GPX trace on this route is for use as a guide only, its accuracy may change depending on the scale of map you are using. Use in combination with judgement and a paper map. We have taken all reasonable steps to ensure these walks are safe and correctly described. However things do change and all outdoor activities involve a degree of risk. The publishers accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions or for any injuries or accidents that occur whilst following this walk. Trail magazine, Copyright Bauer Media Limited.




Distance 9.4km (5¾ miles)
Total ascent 1280m
Time 5 hours
Start/Finish NN414259
Terrain an estate road takes you well into the route followed by open hillside and well-trodden ridge sections; the descent is steep and some sections are pathless.
Guidebook The Munros, pb SMC; Southern Highlands, pb SMC 


NN414259 Ben More and Stob Binnein are the mighty twins that dominate the skyline above Crianlarich, but they have their weak spots for us to take advantage of. Leave the A82 at a signposted stile and follow the estate road as it zigzags up the hillside to a height of 300m. 
NN419254 Take the estate road down Benmore Glen as it follows the river and soon you find yourself deep between high ground on either side. After the road ends take a line up the slopes to your left towards the Bealach-eadardha Bheinn.

NN417241 The slopes are long and at a steady angle, but there are many huge boulders littering the route to break the monotony and give you an excuse to stop, rest and explore the bigger ones.

NN432235 The bealach is wide and a path cuts across it joining our two summits. Turn right and follow the path as it climbs the stony slopes of Stob Binnein with its craggy eastern face immediately to your left. The climb is long and the angle constant with a welcome break just before the top where a rocky outcrop breaks your stride and welcomes you to the short, angled ramp of the summit.

NN434227 Stob Binnein’s summit is a fantastic place to arrive at, but as well as marking a goal, arriving there also shows you possibilities of routes on rocky ridges heading south and east. Far from being the mere twin of Ben More, Stob Binnein is a hub for many more great mountain days.

Today, though, we reverse our route back to the bealach and start the climb onto the south ridge of Ben More. The climb is once again long with a regular angle, a real feature of any ascent of these two hills. A path marks the way but in poor visibility the route from here needs careful navigation as the ground is steeper than might be expected from the rounded ridge. Towards the top the ground is steeper and rockier, with the summit itself being a bare crag where a trig pillar was built.

NN432244 The lofty summit gives immense views: to the south there is no higher ground until you reach France, while north across Glen Dochart the Highlands tumble away in waves to the highest ground of Ben Nevis and its neighbours. There is a path on the initial descent, but the upper part of the route skirts a hanging corrie, which is very steep indeed and in poor visibility it’s important to keep to the safe ground on your right. The terrain is mostly grassy and steep with the remains of a wall beside the path in places.

NN425250 This unnamed rocky shoulder is the perfect place to rest your knees before the second half of the long descent, and at over 2,000ft is a still a great viewpoint. From here, make your own way down and meet the estate road to take you back to your start point.