Clach Bheinn

Rising steeply above the western shores of Loch Goil, this rugged Cowal hill offers a pathless, quintessentially Scottish ascent through dense forestry and open moorland. Though modest in height, its summit provides an intimate perspective of Carrick Castle and the fjord-like waters of the loch, far removed from the busier Arrochar peaks.

• •The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Clach Bheinn, meaning 'Stony Hill', which refers to the craggy outcrops and boulders that characterise its upper slopes above the tree line.
• •The summit offers an exceptional view of the 15th-century Carrick Castle ruins sitting on the shoreline below, with the peninsula known as the Duke of Argyll's Bowling Green stretching out across the water.
• •Classified as a Hump (a hill with a prominence of at least 100 metres), it forms the northern terminus of a ridge that separates Loch Goil from the deep, quiet valley of Gleann Mòr.
• •To the north, the view is dominated by the more famous 'Arrochar Alps', specifically the jagged profile of The Cobbler and the bulk of Beinn Narnain, providing a sense of scale to this smaller outlier.
• •While the neighbouring Munros attract the crowds, Clach Bheinn offers the distinct luxury of a Highland vantage point where you are more likely to encounter a stray sheep than another walker.