Munro Bagging around Crianlarich and the Trossachs

For anyone leaving Glasgow or Stirling in search of their first Munro, the hills around Crianlarich and the Trossachs are where the Highlands properly begin. Sitting at the junction of the A82 and the A85, this is some of the most accessible mountain country in Scotland — high, genuine peaks within a couple of hours of the central belt, with railway stations at the foot of several of them. It is no accident that so many Munro rounds start here.

A gateway range

The Loch Lomond and Trossachs hills have a character all their own: steep, grassy, often craggy in their upper reaches, and generous with views south over the lowlands and north into wilder country. They are not gentle in the way some Perthshire hills are — several involve real ascent and a bit of rough ground — but the approaches are short, the paths mostly clear, and the driving easy. That combination of accessibility and honest mountain character is exactly what makes the area such a good training ground.

It is also a region that rewards repeat visits. Because the hills fall into tidy clusters, you can climb one on a short winter afternoon and come back for a full horseshoe in summer, building fitness and confidence on ground you already half-know. Many baggers cut their teeth here before heading north and west to the bigger, rougher ranges, and plenty keep returning long after they have wandered further afield. The scenery helps: Loch Lomond, Loch Earn and the wooded glens of the Trossachs give these hills a softer, more varied backdrop than the bare peaks of the far north.

The Crianlarich horseshoe

The showpiece round of the area is the Crianlarich horseshoe, a fine group of three Munros southwest of the village: An Caisteal, Beinn a'Chroin and Beinn Chabhair. They can be tackled singly, but strong walkers link them into a long, rewarding day over knobbly, twisting ridges — one of the better multi-Munro outings within easy reach of Glasgow. An Caisteal, "the castle", makes an excellent first target of the three, with a shapely summit and a clear line up from Glen Falloch.

The horseshoe is best done clockwise or anticlockwise depending on where you park in Glen Falloch, but either way expect a long day with plenty of up and down between the tops — the ridges dip and rise more than the map suggests, and Beinn Chabhair at the far end always feels harder-won than it should. It is a proper mountain day, and a good gauge of whether you are ready to step up from single Munros to bigger linked rounds.

North of the village stand the area's two best-known giants, Ben More and Stob Binnein — a magnificent pair, and among the highest hills in the southern Highlands. They are big, steep days rather than beginner outings — Ben More in particular is a relentless, unbroken climb from the roadside — but they dominate the skyline and draw baggers back again and again. Climbed together over the fine ridge that links them, they make one of the best days in the region for a walker with the fitness to take it on.

Ben Vorlich and Stuc a'Chroin

Over to the east, above Loch Earn, rise Ben Vorlich and its rugged neighbour Stuc a'Chroin. Ben Vorlich is one of the most popular first Munros in the country — a clear path, a straightforward climb and a superb summit view down the length of the loch — while Stuc a'Chroin adds an optional rocky step for those wanting a little more. Climbed together they make a classic pairing, and the loch-side start from Ardvorlich is one of the prettiest approaches in the region. Do be aware that the ground between the two, and the direct scramble up the front of Stuc a'Chroin, steepens quickly; there is an easier flanking path for anyone who would rather keep their hands in their pockets.

Ben Lomond and the Arrochar hills

To the west the area shades into two more clusters worth knowing. Ben Lomond, the most southerly Munro of all, rises straight from the shore of Loch Lomond and is one of the busiest and best-loved hills in Scotland — a superb, well-pathed introduction to Munro bagging, covered in detail in our Ben Lomond guide. Just across the loch lie the Arrochar Alps, a rougher, rockier huddle of peaks including Ben Vane and Beinn Ime, with the famous non-Munro Cobbler nearby. These are steeper, wilder hills that make a fine step up once the easier rounds are behind you. Ben Vane is short but famously steep and knobbly, packing a lot of climbing into a small hill, while Beinn Ime is the highest of the Arrochar group and can be linked with its neighbours on a longer day. The whole cluster has a craggy, mountain-proper feel that belies how close it sits to Glasgow.

Which to climb first

If you are just starting out, the standing advice holds: pick a hill with a clear path and a short approach, watch the forecast, and build up gradually. Ben Vorlich above Loch Earn and Ben Lomond are the obvious first choices here — both are on our list of the best Munros for beginners. From there, the single hills of the Crianlarich horseshoe make a natural progression, before you tackle the whole round or the bigger bulk of Ben More. An Caisteal on its own is a particularly good second or third Munro: enough length and ascent to feel like an achievement, but with a clear line and no real difficulty. Save Stuc a'Chroin's scramble and the rocky Arrochar hills until you have a few summits and a bit of steep ground behind you, and you will enjoy them far more when you get there.

Getting there without a car

One of the region's quiet advantages is public transport. The West Highland Line runs right through it, with stations at Crianlarich, Tyndrum, Ardlui and Arrochar & Tarbet, putting several of these hills within reach of a train from Glasgow — a rare thing in the Highlands. It makes the area a natural choice for a car-free bagging trip or a straightforward weekend from the city, and takes the parking headache out of the busier trailheads entirely. The Loch Earn hills are the harder ones to reach by rail, so most people drive to Ardvorlich for those; but the Crianlarich, Arrochar and Ben Lomond hills can all be strung into car-free itineraries with a little planning, and the train ride up the loch is worth the fare on its own.

Planning your visits

With so many hills grouped so close together, this is prime territory for ticking off Munros efficiently over a series of day trips. Keep track of which of the Crianlarich, Loch Earn and Arrochar peaks you have left, and store the routes and offline maps for each, in the Munros app — so a spare fine day is never wasted wondering where to go next.

Related guides

• How to climb Ben Lomond — the classic first Munro nearby
• Best Munros for beginners — several of them in this region
• Munros by public transport — reaching these hills by train