Beinn Ime

Gaelic meaning : Butter Mountain
Height : 3,317 feet
Walk distance : 8.25 miles
OS Map : Loch Lomond
Walk time : 6 hours
Difficulty rating : 4 out of 5

Having first spied and being quite taken with the Arrochar Alps while climbing Ben Lomond way back in June last year, I figured it was high time to get out and climb one. So naturally I picked the highest . . . on the hottest day of the year.

Beinn Ime I think gets its name from a time when butter was made either on the mountain or in the area and is seen as the landmark at the entrance to Argyll.


I started the walk from the car park at Succoth (small parking charge) then headed across the A83 following the sign posts and up hill.

The path is easily followed, well kept and very steep in places. I love the woods around Succoth,, I've previously walked the Glen Loin circuit, which finishes in the Succoth woods so know the area a little and the Loch Lomond area is still the only part of the country I've seen Dragonflies in !

 

The higher you go, the better the views of Loch Long are. Here you can see the Faslane Naval Base in the distance.

And as the views of Loch Long improve, Ben lomond also starts to make it's presence felt. It's not called the beacon mountain for nothing.

After a while you'll leave the woods behind and the ground flattens a little as the path winds it's way up to the Bealach a' Mhaim, it's here the legendary cobbler comes into view for the first time.

As you approach the Cobbler the path splits in two, keep to the right and head towards the house sized Narnain boulders. The boulders are a good place to rest and have a cup of tea before you go on to the climb up Beinn Ime.

Once you reach the Bealach you can see the climb ahead, as you start at near enough sea level you still have another 350-400 metres to climb.

With the heat around 28c I was really struggling, I'm not used to temperatures that high and generally shelter indoors when it gets too hot, so to it was a real relief when i reached the summit.

As the weather was fantastic, so were the views. Some of the most rewarding I've had so far, an absoultely incredible location.

Here's the profile of the route :

And a guide to the route itself :