Lurg Mhòr
East ridge leading to the summit of Lurg Mhòr (left of centre)
Highest point
Elevation986 m (3,235 ft)[1]
Prominence442 m (1,450 ft)[2]
ListingMunro, Marilyn
Coordinates57°24′48″N 05°13′24″W / 57.41333°N 5.22333°W / 57.41333; -5.22333
Naming
English translationbig ridge stretching into the plain[3] / big shin[4]
Language of nameGaelic
Geography
Parent rangeNorthwest Highlands
OS gridNH064404
Topo mapOS Landranger 25
Explorer 429 / 430[5]

Lurg Mhòr is a remote 986-metre (3,235 ft) mountain, a Munro, in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland at the high point of an east–west range of hills comprising Meall Mor (974 metres), Lurg Mhòr and Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich (945 metres).[6]

Geographical situation and topography

Loch Monar and surrounding Munros

Lurg Mhòr, is situated west of Loch Monar[note 1] and east of the strath of Bearneas and the Attadale Forest, is one of a horseshoe of Munros around the loch.[7][6] Glen Carron lies to the north and Glen Shiel to the south.[6] The west ridge of Lurg Mhòr curves round to the north before rising to Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich, a separate Munro. Lurg Mhòr has a long, relatively flat east ridge where Meall Mhor (a Munro Top) is situated.[1] The ridge is narrow in places and some scrambling (which cannot be avoided easily) is required between Lurg Mhòr and Meall Mhor.[8] This ridge has steep cliffs facing north but on the southern side the slope is gentle and grassy. The ridge leads down to Loch Monar at Pait Lodge.[9][10][11]

The mountain is located on the Attadale Estate.[12] The bedrock is of the Glenfinnan Group of the Moine Supergroup – highly metamorphosed sedimentary sandstone.[13]

Approaches to the mountain

Approaching Lurg Mhòr from Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich
East ridge, north face

Lurg Mhòr and Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich are, according to Cameron McNeish, "two of the lonliest Munros in the land"[14] An approach can be made from the north, the east or the west. All the approach routes are long and arduous but, if a two-day expedition is planned, three open bothies are available as an alternative to wild camping.

The route from the east is along, and possibly around, Loch Monar which is reached through Glen Strathfarrar. From Struy a private road goes along the glen to the foot of the loch at Monar Lodge. Cycling is allowed and a very limited number of vehicles are also permitted access.[note 2][16][17] Even if using a mountain bike the expedition is, according to Dan Bailey "a single epic trip, which can be undertaken either as an appealingly brutal one-day assault or a slower overnighter". The route round the loch traversing these Munros and the three immediately north of the loch is 43 km (27 mi) plus 52 km (32 mi) cycling – 18 hours.[18]

The shortest route to the mountain from a public road is from Achnashellach (Lair) in Glen Carron to the north on the A890 but to start off it is necessary to wade across the River Carron or use the two-wire bridge – cycling is not an option. Otherwise, from Craig nearby there is a somewhat longer route which may be cycled for the first 5.5 km (3.4 mi) – this way the total distance to Lurg Mhòr is 14.5 km (9.0 mi) – 5 hours 30 minutes on foot.[19][20]

Bearnais bothy is a Mountain Bothies Association bothy not far off these routes and for a stop-over it is conveniently located. However, a less hilly route to get there directly is from Achintee (Strathcarron station) from where it may be reached by a stalkers' path of 9.7 km (6 mi).[21]

From the west at Attadale there is an 13 km (8 mi) track along which a mountain bike may be ridden, with difficulty, to the open bothy at Ben Dronaig Lodge which is maintained by the Attadale Estate to a very high standard.[22][23][24] From bothy to Lurg Mhòr is another 7.2 km (4.5 mi) on a stalkers' path.[25] A shorter 9.7 km (6 mi) stalkers' path leads to this bothy from Achintee (Strathcarron station).[22][26]

Maol Bhuidhe bothy is an MBA bothy which can be reached from Atterdale or Killian (Camus-luinie carpark) on mountain bike by tracks at least 16 km (10 mi) long.[27][23]

Rock climbs

On the north of Lurg Mhòr's west ridge a crag of quartzite provides several routes, two of which are graded very severe.[28]

Notes

  1. ↑ Loch Monar is not to be confused with Loch Morar, another remote west coast loch.
  2. ↑ Mountaineering Scotland publish the Strathfarrar access agreement.[15]

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Bennet (1990), p. 162.
  2. ↑ "Lurg Mhor, United Kingdom". www.peakbagger.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017.
  3. ↑ Bennet (1991), p. 186.
  4. ↑ Bailey, Dan (31 January 2014). Great Mountain Days in Scotland: 50 classic hillwalking challenges. Cicerone Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-84965-500-2.
  5. ↑ "Find paper maps by location, NH064404". Ordnance Survey.
  6. 1 2 3 Bennet (1990), pp. 162–164.
  7. ↑ Townsend, Chris (30 March 2011). Scotland. Cicerone Press Limited. pp. 379–380. ISBN 978-1-84965-353-4.
  8. ↑ Bennet (1990), p. 164.
  9. ↑ Bennet (1990), p. 162, 164.
  10. ↑ Butterfield (1986), p. 208.
  11. ↑ Bailey, Dan (April 2011). "Lap of Loch Monar". UK Hillwalking. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  12. ↑ Howie, Robin (30 July 2008). "Robin Howie - On the track from Attadale". www.scotsman.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Geology of Britain viewer". mapapps.bgs.ac.uk. British Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2017. and "BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units - Result Details". www.bgs.ac.uk. British Geological Survey. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  14. ↑ McNeish, Cameron (14 June 2012). Wilderness World of Cameron McNeish: Essays From Beyond The Black Stump. Neil Wilson Publishing. pp. 184–186. ISBN 978-1-906000-12-7.
  15. ↑ "Strathfarrar access". www.mountaineering.scot. Mountaineering Scotland. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017.
  16. ↑ Bennet (1991), p. 185.
  17. ↑ "Loch Monar Wilderness – Meall Mor". The Adventures of a Mountain Coward. 25 August 2014. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  18. ↑ Bailey, Dan (31 January 2014). Great Mountain Days in Scotland: 50 classic hillwalking challenges. Cicerone Press. pp. 91–95. ISBN 978-1-84965-500-2.
  19. ↑ Bennet (1991), p. 187.
  20. ↑ "Munro Central : Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich and Lurg Mhor from Glen Carron". www.munrocentral.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 December 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  21. ↑ Allan (2017), p. 85.
  22. 1 2 Allan (2017), p. 87.
  23. 1 2 Allan, Geoff. "Maol Bhuidhe". Bothies on a bike.
  24. ↑ "Putting the PUSH into Pushbiking to Bendronaig Bothy (Sheasgaich & Lurg Mhor)". The Adventures of a Mountain Coward. 22 April 2011. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017.
  25. ↑ "The walk: Lurg Mhor and Bidein a'Choire Sheasgaich". www.scotsman.com. 16 October 2015. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017.
  26. ↑ "Bidein a'Choire Sheasgaich & Lurg Mhor". Walkhighlands. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  27. ↑ Allan (2017), pp. 97–99.
  28. ↑ Bennet (1990), p. 169.

Works cited

  • Allan, Geoff (1 February 2017). The Scottish Bothy Bible. Wild Things Publishing. ISBN 978-1910636107.
  • Bennet, Donald (1990). "Chapter 10: Glen Carron, Killilan and West Monar". In Bennet, Donald; Strang, Tom (eds.). The Northwest Highlands. Scottish Mountaineering Trust. pp. 158–169. ISBN 0-907521-28-2.
  • Bennet, Donald (1991). "Section 12: Glen Cannich to Glen Carron". In Bennet, Donald (ed.). The Munros (2nd ed.). Scottish Mountaineering Trust. pp. 180–191. ISBN 0-907521-31-2.
  • Butterfield, Irvine (1986). "Chapter 22: Strathcarron and Achnasheen". The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland (Book Club Associates ed.). Diadem Books. pp. 205–213.
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