Scotland
Garbh Bheinn
867M
2844FT
About Garbh Bheinn
Rising steeply from the southern shores of Loch Leven, this rugged Corbett is defined by its quartzite crags and unforgiving gradients. It offers an exceptional perspective of the Glencoe mountains, particularly the serrated Aonach Eagach ridge and the Pap of Glencoe, which look spectacular from across the deep, fjord-like loch.
Key Statistics
Rank
74th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Prominence
?
332m
Nearest Town
Kinlochleven
Geology
You are trekking across ancient layers of hardened sandstone and mudstone, sliced through by narrow ribbons of cooled volcanic rock.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN169600
Latitude
56.6966°N
Longitude
4.9914°W
Did You Know?
- •The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic 'Garbh Bheinn', meaning 'Rough Mountain'. It is a common descriptive name in the Highlands, used here to highlight the broken ground and rocky ribs that make the ascent feel far more substantial than its height suggests.
- •The summit is one of the best places to view the Aonach Eagach. From this angle, the true narrowness of the ridge is revealed, alongside clear views down the length of Loch Leven toward the mountains of Ardgour and the Atlantic.
- •At 867m, it is exactly the same height as its namesake in Applecross, though this Loch Leven version is generally considered the more accessible of the two for those based in the central Highlands.
- •The hill stands above the historic narrows of Caolasnacon, a site famously associated with the aftermath of the Massacre of Glencoe, where survivors were said to have fled into these rugged hills to escape government troops.
- •The ascent from the road is so direct and relentlessly steep that it effectively removes any need for a warm-up; it is the kind of hill where you simply keep climbing until the land stops going up.
