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The low summit cairn of Bràigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain with patches of snow, looking across to the higher ground of Beinn a' Ghlò under grey cloud.
Blair Atholl and Glen Tilt

Beinn a' Ghlo - Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain

A Munro of 1,070 metres, number 66 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Beinn a' Ghlo is one hill with three Munro summits, near Blair Atholl on the southern edge of the Cairngorms National Park.

Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain is the middle one in height, with Carn Liath about three kilometres to the south and Carn nan Gabhar, the highest, about three to the east.

The whole hill is protected three times over. The Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland says the wealth of its plants and wildlife has made it a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area.

Atholl Estates' main routes on Beinn a' Ghlò are the main ridge path, the usual descent by Airgiod Bheinn, and the path round the eastern side of the hills.

Starts from
The Beinn a' Ghlò car park at Loch Moraig, near Blair Atholl, at the start of the Càrn Liath path. The Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland opened it for the hill and its three Munro summits.
Stalking
In the stag season Atholl Estates asks hillwalkers to keep to its main routes, or to ring its Hillphone on 01796 481740, updated at 8am daily. Its access page gives the season as 1 August to 20 October, but other dates are printed elsewhere, so ask the estate. There is no stalking on Sundays.
The ground
The hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area.
Summit
Grid reference NN 945 724.
Car park
The Beinn a' Ghlò car park at Loch Moraig, PH18 5TT, is run by the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland and has 60 spaces. In 2026 it charged £5 a car, by contactless card, Apple Pay or cash.
Other vehicles
Motorbikes £3, campervans £8 and minibuses £15; a year's permit is £20 a vehicle. An attendant patrols daily. The access road is narrow.
Toilets and food
There are no toilets at the car park. Our nearest places to eat are in Blair Atholl and Killiecrankie.
On the hill today
−1° to 4°Drizzle on the summit, 1,070 m. Feels like −4° in the wind.

West wind to 14 mph, gusting 27
Dry, or nearly
Light from 7.49am to 6.11pm, ten hours

Sat 17Some cloud−3° to 3° on top · 7 mph, gusts 18
Sun 18Clear−4° to 3° on top · 9 mph, gusts 18
Mon 19Drizzle−6° to 5° on top · 10 mph, gusts 20

A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: Southeastern Highlands forecast, Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath forecast, Bràigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain, Scottish Avalanche Information Service.

October2026

MTWTFSS

Going another day?

Choose the day you mean to climb.Near or far: the light you will have, and what the summit is likely to be doing.

Photographs by James Caven, Bill Irvine and KEVIN WHITSON, via Google

Before you go

Carry

  • A paper map and a compass, and the skill to use them
  • Waterproofs, warm layers, hat and gloves
  • Food and drink
  • A head torch, a whistle and a first aid kit
  • A survival bag
  • Boots with a good grip

Under snow and ice this is a different day, with short light and the risk of avalanche. It needs an ice axe, crampons, winter boots and the skill to use them.

If something goes wrong

  • Dial 999, ask for the police, then mountain rescue
  • Give a six-figure grid reference: the summit is NN 945 724
  • Say how many are hurt, how many are with you, and your number
  • Register to text 999 before the day: text the word register to 999

The summit is optional. Turning back is the right decision whenever the cloud, the wind or the light say so.

How to call for help in the hills · Safety and skills for the hills · ThinkWINTER

From our readers

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From the magazine
Read more elsewhere

For the route itself, take the map and read these.

Sleep and eat at its foot

Next along: Beinn a' Ghlo - Carn nan Gabhar, Beinn a' Ghlo - Carn Liath, Carn a' Chlamain, Carn an Righ. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland's and Atholl Estates'; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's, the Met Office's and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service's. Height and position from The Database of British and Irish Hills, v18.3, adapted, CC BY 4.0. This page is not a route description and does not replace a map.