Scotland
Beinn a' Chaorainn
1049M
3442FT
About Beinn a' Chaorainn
Tucked away in the Lochaber wilds, this high Munro plateau is defined by its dramatic eastern cliffs and three distinct summits. While the western slopes are rounded and grassy, the deep bites of Coire na h-Uamha provide a rugged edge, demanding careful navigation, particularly when winter cornices mask the sudden drop-offs.
Key Statistics
Rank
7th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Data coming soon
Prominence
?
227
Nearest Town
Data coming soon
Geology
You are walking on ancient layers of hardened mud and sand. These slopes are cut by pale volcanic veins that once filled deep cracks in the earth.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN386850
Latitude
56.9286°N
Longitude
4.6536°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Gaelic 'Beinn a' Chaorainn', which translates to 'Mountain of the Rowan Tree', a reference to the trees that once grew more abundantly on its lower slopes.
- •It is famously part of a 'cornice trap' for winter navigators; the flat summit plateau can lead unsuspecting walkers directly over the sheer drops of the eastern corries if a strict compass bearing isn't followed.
- •The hill is most commonly climbed from Roughburn on the A86, often paired with the neighbouring Munro, Beinn Teallach, to create a varied circular walk of contrasting terrain.
- •From the summit cairn, the view south-west offers a spectacular perspective of the Grey Corries' quartzite screes and the massive, bulky presence of the Ben Nevis massif.
- •With three separate cairns on the summit ridge, it is a common rite of passage for walkers to visit all three to ensure they have actually stood on the true 1,049-metre high point.