An Caisteal

An exciting and endlessly interesting mountain to walk, hiking up An Caisteal provides a very real chance to bag two, if not three Munros in one expedition. This hulking, ridged peak lies in the beautiful Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and you’ll find the summit at 3,264 feet (995 m) with jaw-dropping views of the behemoths surrounding it. 

With a name translating as ‘the castle’, this peak has an intriguingly craggy appearance from a distance and wonderful rocky outcrops near the summit, including the turret-like rocks. Most of the mountain is grass-covered, with no particularly technical nor overly-challenging sections. 

Fantastic views of the surroundings and the mountain itself

There are multiple choices for hiking trails up An Caisteal with many walkers taking the north ridge approach from Glen Falloch, via Sron Gharbh and Twistin Hill, the knobbly ridge to the castle. Should you be feeling exuberant, a classic addition is the neighbouring summit of Beinn a’Chroin, another Munro. The peaks are linked by a rocky col and you don’t lose too much ground in the descent. 

From Sron Gharbh, the views become magnificent but it’s only when you reach An Caisteal’s summit cairn that you can rest and truly admire the scrape-your-jaw-off-the-ground views. Peaks like Ben Lomond, Ben Vorlich and a lot of other Bens light up the landscape with Loch Long winding into the distance. On a clear day, you couldn’t count the mountains you can spot if you had an hour and a notepad. 

Late spring to autumn can bring exceptional hiking weather but conditions can be changeable throughout and snow can linger long into the year. Only experienced winter mountaineers should attempt the hike when snow and ice are around.