Glen Fruin

Loop round a few Fruin hills, The Stone up to a'Mhanaich, then Chaorach and Tharsuin, a wee add on running round to Balcnock, then a tussocky drop to cross the Ballevoulin burn and up over Auchengaich hill. Runnable to a'Mhainaich and down to the start of the climb up Chaorach, walk up here then an undulating run round to Balcnock, dropped off the ridge too early and had a tussocky traverse to get along to where I wanted to descend, slow run down to cross the burn then another walk up to the quad bike track that runs up to the top of Auchengaich. Picked my way down more tussocky ground to finish at the bottom of the reservoir access road.

 

Finlas and Fruin

Bike, run, bike today, cycle to the top of Glen Finlas, run a loop round the Finlas and Fruin reservoirs, cycle home.

The Ben from Duck Bay

Bright and breezy morning with some cloud on the tops. Along the track until just past the reservoir then up joining the low part of the ridge between Creagan Hill and Beinn Ruisg.

Conic Hill and islands of Loch Lomond from Beinn Ruisg

Finlas reservoir and Loch Lomond from col at the head of Glen Finlas

Followed the ridge round the top of the glen over Creag an Lenibh to a top marked 693. Due west to Beinn Tharsuin then NW to Chaorach.

Beinn Chaorach summit cairn and trig

Conic from Chaorach

Mahanaich from Chaorach

Steep drop NW into the glen and across Auchengaich burn.

Fruin reservoir from Mahanaich

Continuing NW climbing up into the clouds to find the top of Beinn a Mhanaich. South from here down the ridge skirting the bump that is Maol am Fheidh and down the Strone to the Haul road.

Fruin reservoir from the start of the climb up Auchengaich hill

Crossed the Auchngaich burn again and turning east immediately through the gate up Auchengaich hill, North to Tharsuin then East to top 693, South over another bump called Balcnock.

Ardmore from Balcnock

Descent to Finlas reservoir

SE and East down steep slopes to the Finlas reservoir in just over 5 hours.

Glen Finlas Horseshoe

Slept in this morning, set off up Loch Lomond side about an hour later than planned not sure where to run, decided to try the Finlas Horseshoe and add in an out and back over Beinn Tharsuin and Choarach, two hills overlooking the Fruin reservoir.

Easy run up the road to the dam and onto the track on the north side of the reservoir, left the track at the far end of the Finlas reservoir and set off up beside a fence to the flat col between Creagan hill and Beinn Ruisg, walkers paths, sheep/deer trods and fence lines to follow from here on. Above the cloud base so not much to see.

Over Ruisg and Creag an Leinibh then the unnamed 693m top that I would return to after the out and back.

Cloud cleared on the way to Beinn Tharsuin confirming my location, not that I was lost. Quick visit to Beinn Choarach's Cairn and Trig before turning back.

Soon back at the 693m top and set off undulating down over Balcnock towards Loch Lomond.

Usually I drop down to the reservoir and down the glen road, decided to stay on the ridge and maybe get some good pictures of the islands on the loch.

Not ideal to run over, lots of gullies, ditches and bogs. Clouds are closing in again so views not great by the time I get there, ran down past the radio mast using the bouldery access track to get back to the road inside 4 hours, good morning out.