How hard is Beinn Chreagach?

We grade Beinn Chreagach at 1/5, which puts it in easy territory. Underfoot: Wide basalt plateau with shallow peat patches and short heather.

What is Beinn Chreagach's prominence?

Beinn Chreagach's prominence is its full height — 313m — because it is the highest point of its landmass, with no higher ground connected to it. That drop is what qualifies it as a Marilyn — a hill with at least 150m of descent on every side.

When is the best time to climb Beinn Chreagach?

March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Beinn Chreagach. Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.

Is Beinn Chreagach dog-friendly?

Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.

By the OutdoorSCOT editor

Photo: Richard Webb / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Marilyn · Argyll & Bute

Beinn Chreagach

This Beinn Chreagach is the 313m high point of Ulva, the island off the west coast of Mull, distinct from its higher namesake on the Ross of Mull. The hill is a low basalt plateau with steep flanks, and the summit looks out to the Treshnish Isles and Staffa.

Quick facts

Height: 313m/ 1027ft
Prominence: 313 m
Difficulty: 1 / 5Easy
Grid ref: NM 40349 40197
Nearest city: Oban· 47km
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

basalt plateau 45% · rough grassland 35% · heather 20%

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Ulva is a separate island: cross from Ulva Ferry on the west coast of Mull by the small passenger ferry, then walk from the Ulva landing onto the hill. There is no made path to the summit. Check the current ferry operator and times before you travel, and plan the walk around the last boat back.

Terrain

Wide basalt plateau with shallow peat patches and short heather. Drier than the equivalent inland Mull tops thanks to free-draining slabs.

In winter

A reliable winter walk with very little snow accumulation. The exposed plateau funnels wind from the Atlantic so dress for the gust speeds rather than the lapse rate.

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

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Beinn Chreagach. 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

Glasgow5h 20m
Edinburgh8h 57m

Ferry access

Oban → Craignure

Crossing time45 min
Summer sailingsUp to 8 sailings daily (Apr–Oct)
Winter sailings4–5 sailings daily (Nov–Mar)
Last ferry backCheck the CalMac timetable for the last sailing back

CalMac asks all passengers, including foot passengers, to book online before travel. From Craignure, travel across Mull to Ulva Ferry for the separate Ulva crossing.

Book on CalMac ↗

OS maps: OS Landranger 47, OS Landranger 48, OS Explorer 374E, OS Explorer 374W, OS Explorer 375W

Mobile signal: Poor. Expect little or no coverage on Ulva.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

10h 08mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 07:46
Sunset: 16:31
Civil dawn: 07:04
Civil dusk: 17:12

NOAA Solar Calculator · 7 November 2026

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Around Beinn Chreagach 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

46km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Tobermory

Mull base — Ben More, Treshnish, ferry to Iona

18km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Tobermory

Mull — colourful harbour-front distillery making both unpeated and peated (Ledaig) whisky

18km 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.

Mountain forecasts: MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast. In winter also read the avalanche forecast from SAIS, and know that a hill outside their six forecast areas has no avalanche forecast at all — not that it has no avalanche risk. 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.

Beinn Chreagach — common questions

How hard is Beinn Chreagach?: We grade Beinn Chreagach at 1/5, which puts it in easy territory. Underfoot: Wide basalt plateau with shallow peat patches and short heather.
What is Beinn Chreagach's prominence?: Beinn Chreagach's prominence is its full height — 313m — because it is the highest point of its landmass, with no higher ground connected to it. That drop is what qualifies it as a Marilyn — a hill with at least 150m of descent on every side.
When is the best time to climb Beinn Chreagach?: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Beinn Chreagach. Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.
Is Beinn Chreagach dog-friendly?: Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.
Is there mobile signal on Beinn Chreagach?: Poor. Expect little or no coverage on Ulva.
How do I get the ferry to Beinn Chreagach?: Oban → Craignure. Up to 8 sailings daily (Apr–Oct) in summer; 4–5 sailings daily (Nov–Mar) in winter. CalMac asks all passengers, including foot passengers, to book online before travel. From Craignure, travel across Mull to Ulva Ferry for the separate Ulva crossing.
Is Beinn Chreagach safe in winter?: A reliable winter walk with very little snow accumulation. The exposed plateau funnels wind from the Atlantic so dress for the gust speeds rather than the lapse rate.

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