Three Beinns Horseshoe

 | Overview

Technical Rating

Moderate  

Easy scrambling, elements of exposure, some rough terrain.

Endurance Rating

3  

Sustained steep ascents and descents, long-distance, stamina required, suitable for fit walkers. Have you had recent experience of walking for 6-8 hours? Have you recently walked up (and down) a mountain of over 1000m (3000ft) in height without physical distress? Do you regularly play an aerobic sport pretty much every week? If your answer is "No", we'd guess you'd be happier doing a walk rated a level lower than the one you’ve just read! As noted previously, we're into FUN so we don't want you to miss out by overdoing it.

 | Photo Gallery

 | Walk description

The route climbs steeply up alongside the Garbh Allt burn, flattens out across moorland before the path heads uphill again, threading around and over boulders and slabs to reach the summit of Beinn Nuis, the first of the Three Beinns.

From there, the walk follows the ridge round to Beinn Tarsuinn, now gently undulating. Just before the summit, the characterful Old Man of Tarsuinn is encountered, an outcrop naturally sculpted into a human profile, which appears to look out to sea over Brodick. There is then a steep descent to Bealach an Fhir-bhogha with some hands-on rock clambering and negotiation of substantial boulders before the path turns onto gentler terrain and follows a grassy ridge up to Beinn a’Chliabhain. From the rocky tors of the last of the three Beinns, the trail heads back down onto the moor and rejoins the Garbh Allt stream to descend back into Glen Rosa.

Along the way, there is a good chance of spying mountain wildlife, from birds of prey and raven soaring high in the thermals or playing wildly over the ridges and drops to the abundant red deer grazing the sheltered slopes and corries.

Route Profile

 | Advised Kit List