Cruach Ardrain

Cruach Ardrain is a Munro mountain in the Breadalbane region of the Scottish Highlands. It stands five kilometres southeast of Crianlarich village and overlooks Coire Ardrain, from which a stream flows into the River Fillan. The mountain’s Y-shaped outline is formed by three ridges that go north, north-west and south. To the west it is bordered by the upper valley of the River Falloch, and to the east by the Benmore and Inverlochlarig glens. Cruach Ardrain links to the adjoining Munro of Beinn Tulaichean two kilometres away across a high col at 825 metres. The mountain is known for its challenging routes such as Y Gully and Hollow Gully, which attract scramblers and winter climbers. Y Gully was popular with early mountaineering pioneers and offers a fine ice climb in winter. A horseshoe ridge walk starting and finishing in Crianlarich village is a well-loved route. The summit has two high points roughly 250 metres apart, with a large cairn marking the current summit. The north ridge provides an exhilarating scramble over the rocky ‘Top’ of Stob Garbh. Visitors find a landscape of rocky ridges, forested lower slopes and open corries. Coire Ardrain is rocky at its head and forested lower down, while the north and north-east ridges encircle the corrie. The southern ridge leads to the subsidiary top of Stob Glas, which is steep and rocky. The north-west ridge drops steeply to Glen Falloch through a conifer plantation. The views from the summit extend across Glen Falloch and the surrounding glens.