Ben Challum Walk

Route Description for Ben Challum Walk

The Ben Challum Walk is a superb hillwalk that rewards its partakers with enamouring panoramas of the surrounding mountains and down over Glen Lochay. Some significant boggy sections and a few tricky stiles may pose some challenges, but nothing that can’t be overcome with a little determination!

The views from the main summit are nothing short of majestic, with Ben More and Stob Binnein dominating the horizon. The Ben Challum Walk presents a great opportunity to test your endurance and reach impressive heights (910 m), and the nearby Beinglas Farm Campsite provides the opportunity to make this a fabulous, combined hillwalking and camping adventure.

From the layby on the A82’s west side, cross the road to begin the walk, taking the lane that leads down to a bridge. Cross the bridge and walk on the track towards the farm, making a left before reaching it. Pass through a gate taking in the relics of an old chapel and graveyard along the West Highlands Way, and maintain a straight track walking by another small cemetery marked by two large trees. As you continue on the track, you’ll cross a railway (the bridge further east doesn’t permit crossings).

After crossing the railway, continue on the track a short distance before joining the undefined path that leads uphill. You’ll find yourself mirroring a deer fence as you traverse two fairly sizeable stiles to cross some fences which splice the slope. On these lower banks, you’ll encounter some serious boggy sections and you’ll likely want to seize the opportunity to cross to the other side of the fence to avoid the worst of it.

The steady uphill climb is now in full swing as you make your way to the south top, with a line of fenceposts guiding you nearly the whole way. Brilliant views of Ben More and Stob Binnein begin to open up during this section, and are the perfect motivation to keep climbing. Reach the south summit first before heading west a short distance to make a crossing of the cleft before maintaining the ridge on the far north side. A brief descent down the ridge sets you up for a final ascent to the main summit, where the views are extensive and thoroughly gratifying.

After soaking up the views, retrace your steps to return back along the ridge, bound for the south summit. From the south summit, retrace your steps, enjoying the marvellous views along the return route back down to the A82.

Insider Hints for Ben Challum Walk

• A wide range of accommodations in nearby Tydrum offer hotels, cottages, and B&B stays, great for extending the adventure.
• The Beinglas Farm Campsite is over a ten-minute drive from the trailhead, perfect for those looking to pitch a tent following the walk.
• Regardless of the weather, the lower slopes of Ben Challum will be extremely wet year-round, so ensure you’ve got waterproof shoes on for this walk.
• If tackling this hill during the winter months, an ice axe and crampons will come in handy.
• The Real Food Cafe, located in Tyndrum, just a 15-minute drive from the trailhead, serves, what some say, is the best Fish and Chips in all of Scotland!