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ROUTE 14

Up and down from the Lairig road

Start/finish	Nature Trail car park NN608378
Distance	10km/6.5 miles
Ascent	850m/2800ft
Approx time	4¼hr
Max altitude	Ben Lawers 1214m
Terrain	Small paths, sometimes damp; big but stony path for descent
Note	See map in Route 13 and map here

The combination of a high car park and a magnificent summit make this one of the most popular outings in Scotland. It’s usually taken in the opposite direction (Beinn Ghlas first) but this way the ascent unfolds interestingly around the northern corrie, is only steep for the final 200m to the summit, and reserves the airy ridges of Beinn Ghlas for the descent.

Start on the wide path which crosses the road and soon enters the fenced-in stream area. The main path heads uphill to left of the Edramucky Burn, or you can take the Nature Trail that turns off right to a footbridge. It heads up in the stream valley, and at 540m level it rejoins the main path. Turn left, to cross the burn, and where the path turns downhill, take the small old path up to the right. Here a stile on the left out of the enclosure is the way onto Meall Corranaich’s south ridge.

The old path ahead runs up to left of stream, in places a soggy trench. With the plantation fence (and another ladder stile) ahead, turn off right to cross two stream branches, then join the well-made main path to leave the enclosure at a gate. In another 300 metres, at a tiny rocky outcrop, the path forks. The path ahead here is the stiff climb on good path to Beinn Ghlas. The well-built left path slants gradually up the side of Coire Odhar, to the col at its head.

Through this pass between Meall Corranaich and Beinn Ghlas, the path contours round to the right, gradually climbing around the north flank of Beinn Ghlas. The path here is narrower and rougher. The slope is north facing and rather steep, and it can hold hard old snow. The path enters the north bowl of Beinn Ghlas, drops a little to cross a stream, then slants up to the Lawers/Ghlas col at 1000m.

Arriving at Ben Lawers summit

The well-built path with steps and zigzags leads ahead up the first steep slope to Creag Loisgte. It’s then not quite so steep to Ben Lawers summit with its trig point and non-functioning viewpoint indicator.

Return southwest on the wide engineered path with its steps and zigzags. After the slight shoulder at 1100m, the descent is steeper to the Lawers/Ghlas col. Here take the main path ahead up the gently rising ridge. The spot height 1084m on Explorer maps should be 1034m. The ridge has drops on the left, becoming pleasantly narrow for last few steps to Beinn Ghlas summit.

From the summit knoll drop southwest, on the wide, clear path down the well defined southwest ridge. The path is engineered, with some zigzags, but it’s a fairly relentless descent. From the ridge foot the angle eases down to the gate into the regeneration area around Burn of Edramucky.