Cume de Ben Cruachan

Hikes to Ben Cruachan’s incredible summit place you on top of one of the most remarkable mountain systems in the West Highlands. The highest peak of a complex massif of the same name, it rises gracefully from the shores of the suitably titled Loch Awe to the south and Loch Etive to the north west. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘Hollow Mountain’ due to forces at play beneath its surface.

From the south, it appears as a great horseshoe of mighty peaks surrounding an obvious corrie. This corrie is home to a gigantic subterranean hydroelectric power station which, on the surface, manifests as the Cruachan reservoir and its magnificent dam. Opened in 1965, it is still in operation today, generating an incredible 440 megawatts of electricity.

Sweeping panoramas from its ridges

The majority of walking routes to Ben Cruachan’s summit are via the reservoir and you can even walk across the dam whilst taking in the scenery. Once up high, the ridge walking between the various subsidiary summits is exhilarating. The north side of the massif is wilder, with a number of pathless ridges descending steeply to Glen Noe.

Ben Cruachan’s summit boasts a fantastic panorama. You can look straight down the barrel of Loch Etive to the mountains of Glencoe, with the Mamores and Ben Nevis beyond. To the south east are the rugged Arrochar Alps and the shapely Tyndrum Munros. It is also one of the finest vantage points to gaze out at the mountainous Isle of Mull.

There are accommodation options around Dalmally to the east and Taynuilt to the west. The Falls of Cruachan train station sits at the beginning of most routes onto the mountain, perfect if you are accessing the massif by public transport. In winter conditions, it is a serious undertaking and the preserve of mountaineers only.