Beinn Narnain: The Ultimate Munro Bagging Guide (2024)

Beinn Narnain (AKA Ben Narnain) is a stunning Munro in the Arrochar Alps in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. To reach the summit of this mountain, most walkers complete a thrilling circular walk. Although, many walkers combine climbing Beinn Narnain with climbing nearby Beinn Ime (AKA Ben Ime) – another Munro. That’s exactly what Beck and I did. To that end, in this guide, we’re going to talk about the Beinn Narnain Circular Walk and also the Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime Walk.

About Beinn Narnain

The Arrochar Alps consist of a compact group of mountains, one of which is Beinn Narnain. Being 926 metres above sea level, this mountain is classified as a Munro. So, it’s a popular mountain to climb for walkers who are looking to bag Munros. Of course, with Beinn Ime (1,011 metres), another Munro in the Arrochar Alps, located not too far from Ben Narnain, many walkers will take the opportunity to bag two Munros during one single walk. In effect, the Beinn Narnain and Ben Ime Walk is a popular route option for bagging Beinn Narnain.

Of course, if you’ve landed on this page, you might be solely interested in just climbing Beinn Narnain. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In the Beinn Narnain Routes section, we’ll detail both the Beinn Narnain Circular Walk and the Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime Walk. We’ll also cover some other route options for those interested in doing something a little different!

Where Is Beinn Narnain?

This mountain is located in the southern highlands of Scotland, specifically in the Arrochar Alps. To help get your bearings, please click on the image below to access an interactive map of the area.

Beinn Narnain Routes

As mentioned, the Beinn Narnain Circular Walk and the Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime Walk are the two most popular options for summiting Beinn Narnain. Let’s look at these two popular options in a tiny bit more detail.

• Beinn Narnain Circular Walk: this is the most well-known and popular option for bagging this Munro without summiting any other mountains.
• Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime: this is another well-known and popular option for those wanting to bag two Munros. Indeed, it’s good bang for buck, as from Beinn Narnain, you’re not too far from bagging Beinn Ime.

Of course, there are other route options which include summiting Beinn Narnain. Let’s look at these below.

• Beinn Narnain and Ben Arthur: it’s quite simple to add a walk to the summit of the famous Ben Arthur (The Cobbler) after summiting Beinn Narnain.
• Beinn Narnain, Beinn Ime and Ben Arthur: by doing this option, you can bag two Munros and one Corbett.
• Beinn Narnain, Beinn Ime and Ben Vane: this is a triple Munro walk! As expected, this is a harder route option, especially because the trail between Beinn Ime and Ben Vane is rocky, steep and often pathless. This route should only be completed by experienced walkers.

Beinn Narnain Circular Walk Statistics

Because this guide is primarily about Beinn Narnain, we’re going to show you the trail specs, maps and details about the Beinn Narnain Circular Walk. But, as mentioned, Beck and I did the Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime route. So, in the walk description, we’ll tell you about our experience sumitting Beinn Narnain, and then also climbing Beinn Ime.

Below, you’ll find trail specs for the Beinn Narnain Circular Walk.

• Type: Loop
• Distance: 10.3km (6.4 miles)
• Time: 4.5–5.5 hours
• Accumulated elevation gain: 945m
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trailhead: Succoth

Beinn Narnain Circular Walk Map (GPS and OS)

Below, you’ll find GPS and OS maps for the Beinn Narnain Circular Walk.

• GPS-Guided Map with GPX File to download: AllTrails
• Ordnance Survey Map to buy: The Trossachs, Callander, Aberfoyle & Lochearnhead, Balquhidder & Strathyre

Beinn Narnain: Terrain and Profile

Initially, the Beinn Narnain Circular Walk involves walking through dense woodland with steep terrain. You’ll eventually leave the cover of the woodlands and reach an open mountainous area, where the trail remains steep and rocky.

Nearing the summit, there is some mild scrambling. But, there are often trails to avoid any additional scrambling. Descending Ben Narnain on its northern side involves a steep, rocky and sometimes less-defined trail. Soon, you’ll join a well-defined rocky path, leading you past Ben Arthur and back towards Succoth.

With around 945 metres of accumulated elevation gain, the Ben Narnain Circular Walk is quite physically demanding. Given the steep terrain, you’ll need to take care, especially after rain when the trails are slipperier.

Our Experience Climbing Beinn Narnain

During our ascent of Beinn Narnain, we didn’t enjoy good weather conditions. Unfortunately, at the summit of the mountain, we experienced a whiteout. This also occurred during our ascent of Beinn Ime afterwards. So, we don’t have summit photos showing the breathtaking views. I suppose, when you’re hiking as much as Beck and I do, you can’t always enjoy breathtaking weather and visibility.

Anyway, in the walk description below, our intention isn’t to explain the trail in a step-by-step format. After all, you can always use a map for precise trail instructions. Instead, we’ll provide a little insight into our experience doing the Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime Walk, showing you some photos of the horrid weather conditions we encountered. After all, it’s Scotland, so you might experience the same conditions too!

Anyway, here is a map of the walk that we did and will talk about below.

Where to Start: Succoth

You’ll start the walk to Beinn Narnain from the shores of Loch Long in Succoth. When it comes to parking, there are two options. The most convenient option is Succoth Car Park, as it’s located opposite the trailhead. Alternatively, you can park at the Loch Long Car Park, which is around a 650 metre walk to the trailhead.

FYI – both car parks are privately owned and charge extortionate rates. You’ll pay around £1/hour at Succoth Car Park, whilst you’ll pay £1.30/hour at the Loch Long Car Park, usually between 9am and 6pm. Of course, these prices and conditions are subject to change. Please let us know in the comments below if you paid a different rate.

After leaving either car park, and crossing the main road (A83), you’ll soon join a steep trail heading towards Beinn Narnain. You’ll walk through dense woodland, climbing up a steep and rocky trail. After heavy rainfall in the morning, Beck and I got pretty soaked by the wet plants and leaves we brushed past. You’ll soon enjoy views of Long Loch as you gain more height.

Eventually, you’ll leave the woodlands behind as the trail briefly flattens. But, soon enough, you’ll reach a much rockier terrain in an area called Cruach nam Miseag. At this point, the climb has some steeper sections and rockier slopes, which involve the odd bit of mild scrambling. After reaching some false summits, you’ll soon be near the true summit.

Beinn Narnain Summit

After some steep climbing, the trail once again flattens as you near the peak of Beinn Narnain. You’ll soon arrive at a stone-built trig point on a rather rocky plateau. On a clear day, you’ll enjoy brilliant views of Ben Arthur, Beinn Ime, Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde. Unfortunately, as mentioned, Beck and I had to contend with a complete whiteout!

Beinn Ime: The Second Munro

From the summit of Beinn Narnain, you’ll then descend the opposite side of the mountain. The northern face of the mountain is quite steep and rocky, so take care. Eventually, you’ll reach a well-defined trail.

If you’re completing the Beinn Narnain Circular Walk, you’ll simply turn left to continue the walk. By turning right, you’ll continue towards Beinn Ime, which is what Beck and I did. At Bealach a’ Mhaim, located between Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime, we experienced some better weather as some of the mist cleared.

But, we soon re-entered the mist as we began to climb Beinn Ime. At the summit, we bagged our second Munro and experienced our second Munro whiteout of the day! On a clear day, you’ll usually enjoy sweeping views of the Arrochar Alps and southern highlands.

After retracing your steps to Bealach a’ Mhaim, you’ll join the well-defined outbound trail, which approaches and passes Ben Arthur.

Ben Arthur (The Cobbler)

During the return walk to Succoth, you’ll pass Ben Arthur, which is popularly known as The Cobbler. We’d previously climbed Ben Arthur. So, on this occasion, we simply walked by. On the way back to Succoth, you’ll pass the remarkable Narnain Boulders. You’ll also walk alongside the lovely stream of Allt a’ Bhalachain. The walk finishes with a monotonous series of switchbacks leading you back to Loch Long.

Read more: How To Hike The Cobbler (Ben Arthur) In Scotland

Things to Know Before You Go

Before setting out to climb Beinn Narnain, there are some helpful things to know. Below, we’ll cover all of the important logistics such as how to get there, where to stay nearby and what to take.

How to Get to Beinn Narnain

The quickest and easiest way to get to Succoth to walk to Beinn Narnain is to drive there yourself. If you don’t have your own set of wheels, then we recommend hiring a car.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

Public Transport

It’s also possible to use public transport to get to Succoth. From Glasgow, you can catch a train and alight at Arrochar and Tarbet. From the Arrochar and Tarbet train station, you’ll need to walk around 3km to get to the trailhead. Alternatively, you can catch a bus from Glasgow to the Braeside Stores bus stop in Succoth. From Braeside Stores, it’s a roughly 1.1km walk to the trailhead.

Another option is to catch a train to Arrochar and Tarbet and then catch a bus to Braeside Stores. But, it may be tricky to coordinate this option as departures of both services are often limited.

We recommend using Google Maps, Citylink and Trainline to help plan your journey using public transport.

Accommodation

If you want to stay near Beinn Narnain, then we recommend staying in the Arrochar Alps. There are plenty of great accommodation options in and around Arrochar. Below, we’ll look at the best budget, mid-range and luxurious accommodation options.

Other Loch Lomond Walks

There are plenty of other great mountain walks in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Below, we’ll detail some of the best Loch Lomond walks that we’ve completed ourselves.

• Ben Vane: also located in the Arrochar Alps, we hiked this Munro as a separate out and back walk and really enjoyed it.
• Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’ Chroin: one of our favourite double Munro walks in the national park, starting from Loch Earn.
• Ben More and Stob Binnein: another awesome double Munro walk, which starts in Crianlarich.
• Ben Lui and Beinn a’ Chleibh: known as the Queen of the South, Ben Lui is a compelling but challenging Munro to bag. You can summit Beinn a’ Chleibh after walking to Ben Lui to do another double Munro walk.
• Conic Hill: one of Scotland’s most iconic hill walks.
• Ben Lomond: this is the most popular walk in the national park.
• Ben Venue: a spectacular Graham, located in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, near Loch Achray and Loch Katrine.
• Ben A’an: you’ll have to climb the famous miniature mountain.
• Loch Ard and Rob Roy’s Cave: an easy circular walk passing Loch Ard, a hidden lochan and Rob Roy’s Cave.
• Ben Ledi: a fantastic mountain walk starting near Loch Lubnaig.
• Bracklinn Falls and Scouts Pool: a great short circular walk near Callander, exploring many waterfalls and cascades.
• Falls of Falloch: an easy short walk to the national park’s most popular waterfall.
• Devil’s Pulpit (Finnich Glen): although it technically falls outside of the national park, this place is a must-visit.

Read more: Loch Lomond Walks – The 26 Best Walks in Loch Lomond

FAQs

Below, you’ll find the most frequently asked questions about Beinn Narnain.

Is Beinn Narnain a Munro?

Yes, as it’s higher than 914 metres (3,000 feet).

​​​​​​​Where Is the Path For Beinn Narnain?

The path starts in Succoth, near Succoth Car Park, and ascends to the mountain, through dense woodland and then open mountain terrain.

What Is the Beinn Ime and Ben Narnain Route?

Click here for a map and trail specs for this route option.

How Long Does It Take to Climb Beinn Narnain?

The circular walk takes around 4.5–5.5 hours to complete.

Is Beinn Narnain Difficult to Climb?

Yes, the terrain is steep with some mild scrambling required. The considerable elevation gain also makes this walk physically demanding.

How Many Munros Are in the Arrochar Alps?

There are four Munros in the Arrochar Alps – Beinn Narnain, Beinn Ime, Ben Vane and Ben Vorlich.

What to Wear and Take

Below, you’ll find some gear essentials for this walk.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Bonus Tips

• Beinn Narnain weather: it’s not unusual to get wind, rain and poor ​​​​visibility in the Arrochar Alps. After all, that’s the typical climate for this area. It’s best to check the weather forecast before you go, so you know what you’re in for! We recommend checking both Mountain Forecast and the Met Office.
• Best time to visit: often, the best weather in Scotland is in May and June. So, most visitors head to Scotland around this time of year or during summer. But, after all, mountain weather can be unpredictable!
• More details about Beinn Ime: there are many different route options for exploring Beinn Ime in the Arrochar Alps. Other than the popular route from Succoth, it’s possible to climb Beinn Ime from the Rest and Be Thankful Viewpoint and from Butterbridge. Whilst, there are various multi-mountain routes that involve Beinn Ime, such as the Beinn Ime and Beinn Chabhair Walk. For more details, please read our Beinn Ime Walking Guide.
• Other walks near Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park: of course, Scotland is full of amazing mountain walks. There are several great mountains to climb just outside of the national park such as Beinn Dorain and Beinn nan Eachan (Tarmachan Ridge).

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