Scotland
Beinn Bhreac
524M
1719FT
About Beinn Bhreac
Rising above the village of Portincaple, this 524m hill offers a rugged character for its modest elevation. Situated between Loch Long and Gare Loch, the terrain is classic southern Highland—peaty, heather-clad, and often damp—yet rewarding climbers with an exceptional perspective of the nearby Arrochar Alps and the Firth of Clyde.
Key Statistics
Rank
386th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Data coming soon
Prominence
?
30m
Nearest Town
Portincaple
Geology
You are walking on the Beinn Bheula Schist. This foundation formed when layers of sand and mud were transformed by heat and pressure into the rock beneath your feet.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NS262951
Latitude
56.1169°N
Longitude
4.7970°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Beinn Bhreac, which translates as 'Speckled Hill.' This refers to the mottled visual texture of the slopes, where grey rock outcrops break through a patchwork of dark heather and green moorland grasses.
- •From the summit, walkers have a bird's-eye view of the Finnart Oil Terminal on Loch Long, while the northern horizon is dominated by the jagged profiles of The Cobbler and Beinn Narnain.
- •To the east, the view opens up across the southern end of Loch Lomond, with the massive profile of Ben Lomond clearly visible across the intervening ridges of the Luss Hills.
- •The hill is frequently accessed by leaving the Three Lochs Way, a long-distance route that passes through the nearby Whistlefield area, though the final ascent requires navigating trackless, boggy ground.
- •It is one of the few places in the Highlands where you can enjoy a quiet, solitary lunch while looking down on a landscape that simultaneously includes a tranquil Victorian village and the high-security infrastructure of the UK's nuclear submarine fleet.