Scotland

Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh, near Rannoch Moor

Character: Beinn Dorain shows a magnificent pyramidal shape above the road to the South. Its climb with its sister is easier than this view would expect, and is an interesting but straightforward walk

Ascent: ~4000 feet

Time: 3.5 hours

Map: Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure Sheet 38, 1:25,000 (newer version of Ben Nevis and Glen Coe sheet has Rannoch down to Crianlarich on reverse, required for this walk)

Transport: Trains from Fort William or from Glasgow Queen Street via Crianlarich. Some times for 26/09/99 to 27/05/00 are given here

Sources: Irvine Butterfield"The High Mountains"

Accomodation: Bridge of Orchy Bunkhouse and Hotel (Tel: 01838 400 208)

Bridge of Orchy Bunkhouse and Hotel

Start from The Bridge of Orchy Hotel up the street opposite, past the school to The Railway station. It is obvious at the crossing gate that many walkers have crossed the line this way, but ScotRail are very keen for you not to do this (there are penalties), so instead use the tunnel under the station a few yards to the right. On a clear day your objectives are very clear before you, with the "Jaws of Dorain" (my name - excuse my naffness!) the rocky meeting point of the two mountains really called Coire an Dothaidh, straight in front of you. Quite intimidating and inspiring! This late November day the winds were high and there was snow from around the saddle height.

The wide boggy path follows the right hand side of the burn, Alt Coire an Dothaidh, most of the way to the bealach, but as it starts to steepen it heads left, mainly to avoid a large crag that sits in the centre of the jaws. It would be as well in difficult conditions with deep snow to fix this crag in your mind for the descent. Although not high, trying to descend over it would be extremely dangerous.

Looking towards the saddle between Beinn an Dothaidh (left) and Beinn Dorain (right)

Above this crag, the ground levels, and an initial "corridor" is seen heading South (to the lochan shown on the map I assume, GR 323 395), but this is not the one taken. Instead, continue further until the ground is genuinely level and then dropping in front (East) then head due South. I cannot comment as to whether there is a good path, as there was 3 - 8 inches of snow on the ground when I did it, but I can say that heading literally on a bearing of 180 degrees did bring me directly to the top of Beinn Dorain (pronounced Ben Doran by the locals). Initially I zig zagged up a prominent nose of rocky ground shown on the map immediately south of the Bealach spot height at 744 m, and then continued over a surprisingly easy and gradual ascent to the top. There was one further rocky nose of this sort, and all the time one had the feeling of being on a broad shatterred ridge, with moderate drops on each side. Eventually one large cairn appears, and then a few yards away the equally large summit cairn, with high winds wistling over it from the pyramid of the mountain below to the South.

Summit cairn on Beinn Dorain

To continue to Beinn an Dothaidh, the route is initially obvious. Retrace your steps to the bealach. From here, after my previous success with the compass, and again with the paths covered, I headed on a bearing of North East. This was successful again, although something of a boring trudge over lumpy but not difficult terrain. Visibility was such that I did not know I was on the summit ridge until, after around a kilometre, I was faced with an imminent drop in front of me! But then I suppose thats the benefit of heading for a linear geaographical feature, that you don't have to be spot on, and you will still hit it. The ground rose obviously both to my left and right (North and South), so I assumed correctly that I was between the mountain's two tops, both marked with spot heights on the map. The higher, the true summit was to the North, and after hurriedly getting off the cornice I was standing on, two minutes later I was at the summit cairn.

The descent (I should have followed my own footsteps down, although they were disappearing rapidly in the high winds and snow) I took was to try and follow the summit West, then SW, then more South, ie around Coire Reidh. I imagine with visibility this would be perfectly pleasant, but I ended up going a little too far West, and my first views of Coire an Dothaidh were of its rocky jaws, not the more grassy ramps leading to the bealach. Still, contouring back on course was not difficult, and skirting crags below on the right, then turning them on my right to drop down to the bealach was soon accomplished. It would be worthwhile ensuring you do not make the same error, as it would be possible to head straight over the crags. Maybe in poor conditions heading back on a direct bearing of SSW from the main summit would keep you well away from any crags, even if it meant trudging through the boggy coire.

From the bealach, head out the way you came in, remembering the crag that will now be passed on your left on the first steep section. Remember to enjoy the burn as it runs through deep rocky chasms in the lower reaches!