Beinn Tulaichean – Up the Steep Shoulder Above Inverlochlarig

The walk

This is the usual way up Beinn Tulaichean, from the road end at Inverlochlarig in Balquhidder Glen, straight up the hill's south-east shoulder. By our map it is about 8 km (5 miles) there and back, with about 830 metres of climb, most of it on one long, steep slope. Allow about 4 to 5 hours, more with stops or in poor weather, and leave plenty of daylight for the steep way down. The summit is 946 metres.

Beinn Tulaichean stands above the farm at Inverlochlarig, at the south-east end of a ridge that runs on to Cruach Ardrain. The national park says it makes sense to walk the two together from Crianlarich, over Cruach Ardrain first. From Inverlochlarig many walkers go on along the ridge to Cruach Ardrain as well. That is a longer day, and not this walk.

The walk starts from the car park at the end of the public road at Inverlochlarig. The farm keeps it free for walkers, with a picnic area. To reach it, leave the A84 between Strathyre and Lochearnhead at the junction beside Mhor 84. Follow the narrow road west through Balquhidder and along Loch Voil and Loch Doine for about 12 km to its end. It is single track and winding, so give it time. A community plan of 2022 found no toilets at the car park, so plan for none.

Before you set off, check the mountain forecast, and under snow the snow and avalanche conditions too, as Mountaineering Scotland advises. Out on the hill there are no waymarkers or signposts, Forestry and Land Scotland warns, and the weather can change quickly. Even on a clear summer day it is often much colder and windier up there than in the glen. Wear good walking boots and carry warm, waterproof clothing, plenty of food and drink, and a torch in case the day runs long. Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, and do not rely only on a phone or GPS.

From the car park, go through the gate and west along the farm road towards Inverlochlarig, over the bridge across the Inverlochlarig Burn. Just beyond it a sign points walkers onto a path round the farm, by the burn, which can be muddy. It joins the track up Inverlochlarig Glen. Inverlochlarig is a working hill farm, with about 3,000 Blackface ewes, a herd of 60 cattle and wild red deer, the farm says. Keep a dog under close control wherever there is livestock, the national park asks. The owners may be busy with deer management and farming, so follow any signs on the day.

Through the gate on the glen track, the hill path soon leaves it and heads up the slope, past a big boulder with a tree growing from it. The ground at the foot is boggy, so keep to the higher ground where you can. On the steep grass above, the path is faint, and two guides find it fades to nothing, so be ready to pick your own line with the map. Keep to the left of the lower crags.

Higher up, a band of crags crosses the slope. One guide says it can be walked round, and the broad ridge above grows better defined as it climbs. Near the top the path turns north along the crest to the summit. Munro Magic names steep slopes and crags near the summit as the hazards here. The top has many rocky outcrops, it says, though a way through them is not hard to find.

The summit is 946 metres, a rocky top with a small cairn, and Ben More and Stob Binnein stand across the glen to the north-east. The ridge runs on north-west to Cruach Ardrain: that is not this walk. Go home the way you came. In cloud, check the line with your map and compass before you leave the top. On the way down keep a little to the west side of the crest, above the crags, as one guide advises. It calls the descent confusing in places and steep on tired knees, so take it slowly.

If the cloud is coming down, the wind is rising or anyone is tiring, turn back: Forestry and Land Scotland asks walkers to turn back if they get tired. Most call-outs in these hills come from people slipping on hard snow without crampons or losing their way in mist, Killin Mountain Rescue Team says. If you have not been trained to use a map and compass in poor visibility, it asks you to be ready to turn back early by a safe route. Under snow this is a winter mountain. No avalanche forecast covers Beinn Tulaichean, and that is no sign there is no risk here.

In an emergency, dial 999 and ask for the police, who will send help. Tell them where you are as exactly as you can: the national park says a grid reference is very useful.