What difficulty is Beinn Duirinnis?

On the OutdoorSCOT scale, Beinn Duirinnis comes in at 2/5 — moderate. Underfoot: Steep oakwood with mossy boulders and bracken on the lower hill, opening to wet grass and heather above.

What is Beinn Duirinnis's prominence?

250m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Beinn Duirinnis to the next higher ground. 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 Duirinnis?

March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Beinn Duirinnis. 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 Duirinnis dog-friendly?

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

By Gary

Photo: Colin Kinnear / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

Submit a photo

Marilyn · Glen Coe & Lochaber

Beinn Duirinnis

Beinn Duirinnis is the 556m hill above Loch Etive between Inverawe and Taynuilt at NN 021 347. The name probably means "deer-ness peak". The summit stands above the famous Falls of Cruachan on the loch's southern shore, with a long open ridge that drops east to Inverliever Forest and west to the Loch Awe basin.

Quick facts

Height: 556m/ 1824ft
Prominence: 250 m
Difficulty: 2 / 5Moderate
Grid ref: NN 02105 34757
Nearest city: Oban· 17km
Dogs: Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

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

No GPX track yet

Walked this route? Share your track to help other walkers.

Submit your GPX

Standard route

heather and bog 65% · grass slopes 25% · rocky summit 10%

GPX needed

Elevation profile coming with the GPX track

Park at the Falls of Cruachan railway halt or at one of the lay-bys on the B845. Climb directly through the steep Atlantic oakwood on the south slopes, then break onto open hill and follow the broad south-east ridge to the summit cairn.

Terrain

Steep oakwood with mossy boulders and bracken on the lower hill, opening to wet grass and heather above. The ridge has occasional craglets that are easily turned. Boggy underfoot in any season.

In winter

Atlantic snow and verglas in the oakwoods; the open ridge gathers patchy drifts. Visibility on the broad summit can drop fast in westerlies. Microspikes are useful on the steep wet rocks at the foot of the climb.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Beinn Duirinnis. 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 56m
Edinburgh5h 24m

OS maps: OS Landranger 50, OS Explorer 377W

Mobile signal: Poor. No coverage on this isolated summit; emergency plans essential.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 11mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:49
Sunset: 19:44
Civil dawn: 06:11
Civil dusk: 20:22

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 September 2026

Got a photo of Beinn Duirinnis?

30 seconds, helps other walkers.

Submit a photo

Walked it with a GPX?

From your watch or phone.

Submit GPX

Trip report?

Share what it was actually like.

Get in touch →

Around Beinn Duirinnis on the SCOT network

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

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Oban

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

17km 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

17km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

Beinn Duirinnis — common questions

What difficulty is Beinn Duirinnis?: On the OutdoorSCOT scale, Beinn Duirinnis comes in at 2/5 — moderate. Underfoot: Steep oakwood with mossy boulders and bracken on the lower hill, opening to wet grass and heather above.
What is Beinn Duirinnis's prominence?: 250m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Beinn Duirinnis to the next higher ground. 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 Duirinnis?: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Beinn Duirinnis. 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 Duirinnis 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 Duirinnis?: Poor. No coverage on this isolated summit; emergency plans essential.
Is Beinn Duirinnis safe in winter?: Atlantic snow and verglas in the oakwoods; the open ridge gathers patchy drifts. Visibility on the broad summit can drop fast in westerlies. Microspikes are useful on the steep wet rocks at the foot of the climb.

Get the OutdoorSCOT weekly

One email a week — new route, hill and bothy guides, seasonal conditions and the odd hard-won lesson. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.