| Name: | Beinn Donachain |
| Hill number: | 272 |
| Height: | 651.4m / 2137ft |
| County/UA: | Argyll and Bute |
| Topographical area: | HC11 Cruachan-donachain |
| SMC/RHB section: | 03C: Glen Etive to Glen Lochy |
| Catchment: | Awe |
| Class: | Marilyn, Hump, Simm, Graham, Yeaman (Ma,Hu,Tu,Sim,G,Y) |
| Grid ref: | NN 19900 31650 |
| Summit feature: | outcrop 10m E of cairn |
| Drop: | 376m |
| Col: | 275m NN211332  |
| OS map sheet(s): | (1:50k) 50 (1:25k) OL39N 364N 377E |
| Observations: | larger cairn on overgrown wall 185m WSW at NN 19722 31598 is c1.6m lower |
| Survey: | Abney level/Leica RX1250 |
| Change log: | show changes for this hill entry |
| GPS data: | show GPS entries for this hill |
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N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way. Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land(*).
*For information about access rights in Scotland see the ScotWays website.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass. Please quote the hill number and hill name.
| Logged Descriptions (logged by 225 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all) | By | Date of Ascent |
| From free CP to east. Track thru forest soon becomes pleasant, grassy walking. From turn up windbreak (NN 218320) - unmapped rough. stony track to edge of mapped forest (488m) | carole engel | 31/05/2024 |
| 3rd of the day. Great views north and west. With D.Dave | bolton | 15/03/2024 |
| Free car park at Eas Urchaidh. Forest road north, then west, following south bank of Allt Broighleachan. Uphill, passing south of Cruach Eachd. At a T-junction a well-constructed path takes you up to the edge of the forest, to NN 2138 3174. Up grass to summit of Cruach nan Nighean. Over the West Top. There is a wooden ladder with middle section removed where people and dogs can step through at the fence junction NE of the summit Follow fence steeply up to the top. With bolton. | Dangerous Dave | 15/03/2024 |
| From Eas Urchaidh parking area (with portaloos at present time) via forest track, which appears slightly circuitous before new track branches westward to reach forest edge at NN214317. Up to tump, then a little over 1km to graham summit. Back similar way. | willyross | 19/07/2023 |
| From Glen Orchy. Note - bridge at NN232305 os no longer there. 3 of 6 | thekirkie pirate | 19/05/2023 |
| On route between SW Top and Cruach nan Nighean. Repeat visit. | PGCE | 27/04/2023 |
| New track emerges from the forest at 214317 Gate through deer fence (running N-S) is at 200318 | 49pp | 07/03/2023 |
| Solo. Circuit from Mhic Mhoinaidh, superb day. Followed fence across then climbed it to make use of track and firm ground alongside a drainage trench. From a distance this looked like a path. Then zig zag ascent and contoured north of Nighean tops which I crossed on way down. Extra bonus that night was seeing northern lights from camp spot in Glen Orchy. | Nick Canute | 26/02/2023 |
| From Eas Urchaidh car park, followed (intermittent) signs to Caledonian Forest (lovely!) and on up to open hillside. Then N of Heart Loch and N along new deer fence to old fence line & up to summit. Return over Cruach nan Nighean & same forest tracks. Very wet underfoot on the hill. | MichaelF | 25/10/2022 |
| After bagging Beinn Mhic Mhonaidh, returned to hill side gate and followed a very boggy fence line to Beinn Donachain. | Jhimmy | 28/08/2022 |
| From Beinn Mhic Mhonaidh, mostly fairly close to the west side of the fence. Descended skirting Cruach nan Nighean, minor forestry bashing leading to the forest track above Coire Thoraidh then back to parking in Glen Orchy. | Owen B | 20/08/2022 |
| Solo with bad Rosie who chased a deer. Chilly, blustery low cloud day. 4 hours. | alexmaclennan | 23/01/2022 |
| Beinn Mhic-Mhonaidh (C), Beinn DOnachain (G). Full winter Hike, lots of snow, 70+ mph winds. white out. 19.2km, 7hr 15min | Huwel | 07/12/2021 |
| From Eas Urchaidh bridge, just keep walking up the logging track, through the lovely nature reserve, nice soft track, a bit more industrial forestry, then the steep track up to Cruach nan Nighean, over the next bump too (why not?), then up to Beinn Donachain. Easy going out on the hill, fairly dry despite recent monsoon and wonderful views. A good walk. | Gill | 03/11/2021 |
| Parked at NN2433232057, followed track up Allt Broighleachan. A newish track through the forest starts from the mapped track at NN2181332010 and leaves the forest at NN2138631740. A circuit of the various summits can then be made. Note the foot bridge on the map at NN232305 has been removed and parking spots filled in! | BaggerGutt | 21/08/2021 |
| #3 of 6 from SW, Craig Lodge road. Revisit | RHW | 27/04/2021 |
| A pleasant approach from the Eas Urchaidh bridge along the track through a Forestry Scotland reserve where stands of Scots pine are being protected. A short pull from the end of the new track to Cruach nan Nighean, followed by an anticlockwise circuit of CnM west top, Beinn Donachain and its west and south west tops, returning by the southern shores of Lochan Uaine and the Heart Loch. | Nick Down1 | 23/08/2020 |
| sclater | 13/09/2019 | |
| Round of Cruach nan Nighean, Beinn Donachain, Beinn Donachain SW Top, A'Chreag. From Dalmally Bridge following track / path on N side of River Orchy before ascending and return along ridge. Some rain but cleared later in day. | RobertP | 27/05/2019 |
| 8 top round A, chreag, beinn donachain SW top, beinn donachain west top, beinn donachain, cruach nan nighean west top, cruach nan nighean, cromadh mor, cromadh mor NE top, from near dalmally bridge, left bike at catnish for a mostly downhill cycle back to the car at dalmally. | robertphillips | 24/02/2019 |
| Solo anticlockwise traverse of Beinn Donachain from Eas Urchaidh. New forest track now reaches the edge of the trees at NN213317, which made the descent from the Nigheans nice and straightforward. | amswanston | 05/01/2019 |
| We scrambled over the closed bridge at Catnish car park (alternative bridge to be erected I believe) to Cruach nan Nighean (constructed a wee cairn for those arriving in mist or night time), onto the West Top then down and up to Beinn Donachain (which does not live up to its Evil Mountain moniker). Finished with the West and NW, which are rather pretty adjacent Lochan Uaine on a cloudless Autumn afternoon. The hack back to the car park was direct, through long grass, bracken and bog - lovely! | summitter | 28/10/2018 |
| From Glen Orchy. Crossed on closed footbridge at NN232305 by clambering round the side of the obstruction. | Galltywenallt | 26/04/2018 |
| locked gate on bridge looked difficult so went up forest track by Eas Urchaidh. top part of forest was confusing so included some fighting with trees! | IanHHill | 19/05/2017 |
| From tent in Glen Strae to the west initially up track through forest then straight up to West Top. Wind blew me off my feet at the summit so struggled on to main top in cloud and rain as well as wind and abandoned plans for two further tops to the north. | dickscroop | 21/04/2017 |
| Over locked bridge and up fenceline. Back down FC track. | daviemore | 07/10/2016 |
| 2&5 of 6: Out from B8074 Catnish CP. Back from West Top. | ChrisR | 03/10/2016 |
| Didn't realise there was a locked gate at bridge at Catnish. - Too much for me to climb. Drove a couple of miles to bridge at Eas Urchaidh waterfalls and used alternative route in SMC Grahams guidebook. - Forest track going north, then west, then south to Lochan Coire nam Thoraigh. Had an awful job getting up through trees to ridge. Easier coming down as firebreak was easy to spot. Didn't visit it, but 3rd cairn in a western direction, on a definite wee hump looks higher than summit cairn. [The first one I came to from Cruach nan Nighean.] | russell61 | 10/04/2016 |
| With Vic. Would not describe the locked bridge gate as an easy climb. It repulsed us. Went to next c/p & up through forest over the Nigheans. | ngthack | 20/03/2016 |
| Alone, from Eas Urchaid car park. | Grinner | 23/01/2016 |
| Did after Beinn Mhic-Mhonaidh. Stags roaring. | duchally | 17/10/2015 |
| I'm clearly not as athletic as some - didn't fancy climbing the padlocked gate. Instead went in from Eas Urchaidh, a little further but straightforward. | nicolajane | 08/06/2015 |
| G and A | arthurwhittaker | 01/11/2014 |
| self | davidsbatty | 26/09/2014 |
| 1 of 2 today from catnish. | robertphillips | 18/04/2014 |
| Bridge gate padlocked so need to use the 'via ferrata' to get round the side. From there it is follow a rather boggy stalker's path to beyond the deer fences the PYO routes to the various tops. Very wet finish. | Martin R | 09/03/2014 |
| Parked as others at Catnish, used bridge (easy climb locked gate) to cross river in spate.Bank of river to new deer fence, then track to first bend onto hill. Over deer fence and rising contour around first ridge, then bearing to top. Continue onto Donachain main summit, then down over three of tops on fine ridge. | nordicstar | 29/12/2013 |
| from Stronmilchan | TeasyChris | 08/02/2013 |
| From Glen Orchy - Eas Urchaidh car park | BLACKHILL | 07/04/2012 |
| From Catnish footbridge. Warm and sunny. Sections of paths shown on map are washed out swamps. Great summit views to Ben Lui and Ben Cruachan. | Topographer57 | 22/03/2012 |
| CK | SheilaS | 19/09/2011 |
| Beinn Donachain (NN198315) S/F NN145294 Overcast low cloud about 500m, cold but calm. Almost constant light drizzle. Soft snow from about 550m making walking very tiring. Very careful navigation required to find summit in blanket fog and snow, top at 644m, lochan, on to summit plateau, aim off to N then use aspect of steep slope to summit. Time consuming but necessary. Required experience to resist temptation to aim straight for summit when significantly behind time. | John Young | 01/02/2011 |
| ran in alone. | tom smith | 28/03/2010 |
| Over locked gate, sunny spells, cold at summit, good views. | iangalbraith | 13/04/2008 |
| RIB | HFB | 29/09/2007 |
| My 1000th Marilyn | petesimpson | 03/08/2006 |
| from Nighean. Over a new deer fence for final steep heathery slope to top at 14.30. Misty rain. | arranc | 01/04/2006 |
| PeteN | 01/01/2006 | |
| Repeat | chalky1953 | 18/10/2005 |
| With the Terrier and Slim Jim. | The Captain | 16/04/2005 |