How hard is Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn)?

We grade Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn) at 3/5, which puts it in moderately challenging territory. The usual route is around 13km with 572m of climbing; allow 3-6 hours. Ground conditions: Forest tracks at the start, then the path through Sitka plantation gives way to tussocky boggy ground above the treeline.

How much drop does Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn) have?

The drop is 552m: measured from the summit of Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn) down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.

Where's the parking for Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn)?

Park at NM625275. Double-check the grid reference on an OS map first; informal laybys here fill early in high season.

What's the best month to climb Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn)?

Aim for May, June, July, August, September on Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn). In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.

Can dogs go up Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn)?

Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.

By the OutdoorSCOT editor

Photo: Robert Struthers / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Graham · Argyll & Bute

Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn)

Creach-Beinn (698m) — the hill of plunder, named for cattle reivers who once mustered raids in its shadow — sits at the heart of Morvern in the NM62 square. With 552m of prominence it dominates the peninsula, looking out over Loch Linnhe to Ardgour and across the Sound of Mull to Ben More. The summit is a rocky bump on a long undulating ridge.

Quick facts

Height: 698.7m/ 2292ft
Prominence: 552 m
Distance: ~13 km
Ascent: ~572 m
Time: 3–6 hrs
Difficulty: 3 / 5Strenuous
Grid ref: NM642276
Parking: NM625275
Nearest city: Oban· 22km
Dogs: Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

Height and prominence cross-checked against the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY).

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Standard route

heather and bog 60% · grass slopes 25% · rocky summit 15%

13km · 572m ascent · 3.6 hrs

From the parking lay-by on the B849 west of Lochaline take the forest track north into Coire na Cuile. Where the forestry ends a stalkers' path strikes east up the burn, fading at 400m into open hillside. Climb the south ridge directly: a fine breezy crest of schist and turf.

Terrain

Forest tracks at the start, then the path through Sitka plantation gives way to tussocky boggy ground above the treeline. The summit ridge has occasional schist outcrops but the going is generally cropped grass once over the worst of the bog at 350m.

In winter

Morvern's maritime climate keeps Creach-Beinn snow-free for most of the year, but Atlantic depressions occasionally dump quick wet falls that turn the schist slabs greasy. The exposed ridge becomes very windy in any westerly. Travel here in winter is rarely about snow technique and more about wading through clag and rain.

Kit for this: the winter Munro kit list · which boots take crampons

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn). SAIS forecasts six areas only — Northern and Southern Cairngorms, Creag Meagaidh, Lochaber, Glencoe and Torridon — and this hill is outside all of them, so there is no avalanche forecast to read for it. In winter, use MWIS West Highlands ↗ for mountain weather, judge snow stability from first principles, and treat any cornice or wind-loaded slope with extra caution.

Best time of year

Best OK Avoid

Getting there

Glasgow3h 55m
Edinburgh4h 46m

Parking: NM625275

OS maps: OS Landranger 49

Mobile signal: Poor. Remote Morvern peninsula; very faint on most networks.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

11h 49mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 07:52
Sunset: 18:26
Civil dawn: 07:15
Civil dusk: 19:04

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 October 2026

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Around Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn) on the SCOT network

Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Oban station

Argyll ferry hub; Mull, Lismore, Coll, Tiree, Barra connections

22km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Oban

Argyll ferry hub — Mull, Lismore, Coll, Tiree, Barra

22km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Oban

Oban town centre — tiny two-still distillery bridging Highland and West Coast styles

22km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

Before you go

Hillwalking carries real risk and the responsibility for any day on the hill is yours. Conditions in Scotland change fast and can differ sharply from the forecast — check the weather and the ground before you commit, turn back when the day stops working, and carry map and compass with the ability to use them rather than relying on a phone.

The distance, ascent and time shown on this page are editorial estimates for the usual line, not measurements from a recorded track — that is what the ~ means. Treat them as a rough shape of the day. Your own pace, the conditions and the exact line you take will all move them.

Mountain forecasts: MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast. Access rights and responsibilities are set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

We check what we publish, but we cannot check the route on the day you walk it. Nothing here is a substitute for your own judgement.

Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn) — common questions

How hard is Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn)?: We grade Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn) at 3/5, which puts it in moderately challenging territory. The usual route is around 13km with 572m of climbing; allow 3-6 hours. Ground conditions: Forest tracks at the start, then the path through Sitka plantation gives way to tussocky boggy ground above the treeline.
How much drop does Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn) have?: The drop is 552m: measured from the summit of Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn) down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.
Where's the parking for Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn)?: Park at NM625275. Double-check the grid reference on an OS map first; informal laybys here fill early in high season.
What's the best month to climb Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn)?: Aim for May, June, July, August, September on Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn). In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.
Can dogs go up Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn)?: Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.
Will I get phone signal on Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn)?: Poor. Remote Morvern peninsula; very faint on most networks.
Is Creach-Beinn (Creach Beinn) safe in winter?: Morvern's maritime climate keeps Creach-Beinn snow-free for most of the year, but Atlantic depressions occasionally dump quick wet falls that turn the schist slabs greasy. The exposed ridge becomes very windy in any westerly. Travel here in winter is rarely about snow technique and more about wading through clag and rain.

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