Southern Highlands
14km/8½ miles 7 hours
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Go through a stone gateway and follow the driveway, then pass through the grounds of Ardvorlich House as directed by signposts. Beyond the house the track climbs steadily through sheep pastures on the west side of the wooded burn cutting, the site of a recent microhydro project.
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At a track junction go right. The track climbs to a small dam, where the burn is crossed on a footbridge. Beyond this the route continues as an engineered footpath, climbing almost due south across the lower slopes of Coire Buidhe to pick up the broad north ridge of Ben Vorlich. This gives a straightforward ascent, steepening towards the top where care is needed in winter conditions. The summit trig point overlooks Ben Vorlich’s steep south face and the remote corrie that the hill shares with Stuc a’ Chroin.
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A less-trodden path descends west, soon curving south-west, with a line of old fence posts as a guide. Some steep, moderately craggy, ground leads down to the knobbly Bealach an Dubh Choirein, the low point between the two hills. Again, this descent needs a careful footing in winter conditions. Above rises the rocky and forbidding north-east buttress of Stuc a’ Chroin. It’s not as hard as it looks, but does require using your hands, or – in winter – an axe and crampons. Climb to an area of boulders and scree under the crags.
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The north-east buttress can be climbed more or less direct as an entertaining scramble with some exposure, vegetation and occasional loose blocks. A line at about Grade 1 can be followed by weaving through the steeper rock steps; take them direct if you want more of a challenge. In snowy conditions this ascent is a Grade I winter climb that needs a cool head and basic climbing competence. It can be avoided altogether by cutting right, due west, from the bealach, to climb the shallow corrie right of the buttress. A cairn marks Stuc a’ Chroin’s north top and the end of any scrambling. Follow the ridge south (rusty fence posts mark the route) to the cairn on the main summit.
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Retrace your steps towards the north top. Instead of trying to descend the north-east buttress, go left from the shallow col just before the north top of the mountain. Descend roughly northwest on grassy ground to pick up Stuc a’ Chroin’s northwest ridge. It’s possible to regain the Bealach an Dubh Choirein from here, via the nonscrambling alternative to the north-east buttress, but in winter conditions it’s easier to stick with this ridge for about 1km instead. Once you’ve outflanked any craggy ground, make your way down into Coire Fhuadaraich. Cross pathless bogs, then hop the burn some way above a prominent waterfall. Climb the far flank of the corrie to the wide boggy col between Ben Vorlich and Ben Our.
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Coire Buidhe is the obvious way home; the initial descent into the corrie is steep, and needs care in snow. The estate has requested that walkers avoid taking a direct line through the base of the corrie so that heather can regenerate. Instead they’ve marked a preferred route with an intermittent line of wooden posts. This sketchy path traverses wetly around the east flank of the corrie, thankfully soon rejoining the engineered trail of stage 2. Now just retrace your steps back down to Ardvorlich.