Car-free Munro bagging by adventurer Nic Hardy

Corrour Station House. © Nic Hardy

“Right” I pronounced as we stood on the Corrour station platform at 08:32 “if we get a wriggle on we can hike these two mountains and have you back at the station for the 15:24 train back to Tulloch”. My good friend Mark and I clipped our rucksacks shut, doing the sums in our heads – 21.3 kilometres with 880 metres of ascent over Càrn Dearg and Sgòr Gaibhre. Of course we’d need extra time as there would be plenty of stops for photos and snacks plus some time at the end for the obligatory slice of lemon drizzle cake in the Station House. “We’ve got this.”

We made great progress on the undulating track from Corrour station, the most remote of all UK train stations and the highest at over 400m above sea level, to the edge of Loch Ossian. This is one of my favourite places in the Highlands. The only vehicles you’ll see here belong to the few who use the small network of private roads and tracks. It’s blissfully quiet. I stow my overnight gear at Loch Ossian Youth Hostel, a wonderful eco-hostel which was converted from a boathouse in 1931. Mark would be catching the afternoon train back to civilisation, but I would be staying in paradise a little while longer.

View north-west up the railway line at Corrour. © Nic Hardy

So why here? Well Mark and I are Munro Baggers. A hobby which suits a niche subsection of the population who enjoy adventuring in the outdoors alongside a nerdy compulsion to tick summits off a list. In order to become a Munroist, you must hike or climb to the summit of all 282 Munros in Scotland. Each mountain measures over 3,000 feet or 914.4 metres and has to have a degree separation from neighbouring peaks. It’s a tough but rewarding and often life-long challenge.

Unless you’re going for a record-breaking self-propelled Munro round like Jamie Aarons, it’s unlikely that you will be able to climb all 282 Munros without access to a car as the mountains are spread out over such a vast and mostly uninhabited area of Scotland. But you might be surprised how many are accessible by public transport and some, like the Loch Ossian Munros, are so remote that public roads don’t stretch anywhere near the feet of these giants and public transport is actually the easiest way to approach them.

Corrour railway station with train on the platform and Leum Uilleim beyond. © Nic Hardy

Major Scottish cities like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness are linked by principal routes from which it’s possible to connect onto lines such as the West Highland Line which reaches as far west as Arisaig and Mallaig. At the very top of Scotland, the Far North rural railway line extends as far as the small coastal town of Thurso. Many of these lines pass through areas of the Highlands where the Munros are a sight for sore eyes on both sides of the tracks.

Surprisingly, Scotland’s long distance bus services are often faster than their rail counterparts but they stop less frequently. Direct trains from Glasgow to Fort William take less than four hours, but the equivalent bus journey takes just over three.

View to Beinn Bhuidhe from the summit of Beinn Ime.  © Nic Hardy

So which Munros can you hike using public transport? Let’s start with some ideas for the southernmost half of the Munros ...

The following Munros can be accessed via train: 

•        Beinn na Lap, the Loch Ossian Munros described above and the Munros at the north-east end of Loch Ossian can all be approached from Corrour station on the West Highland Line. If you fancy a multi-day wild camping adventure, keep walking north-east over the Ben Alder Munros and finish your linear journey at Dalwhinnie railway station. 
•        The Cruachan Horseshoe can be hiked from the Falls of Cruachan railway station on the West Highland Line.
•          The start point for both Carn a’Chlamain and Beinn Dearg is around a kilometre from Blair Atholl railway station on the Highland Main Line.
•          Crianlarich railway station on the West Highland Line provides access to the westernmost set of Crianlarich Munros. 
•          Many Munro walks can begin from Bridge of Orchy Railway Station on the West Highland Line including:

o  Beinn Dorain and Beinn an’ Dothaidh (short day walk)

o  Beinn Mhanach (long day walk)

o  Stob a’ Choire Odhair and Stob Ghabhar (long day walk)

•        There are two stations in the village of Tyndrum. The West Highland Line splits here with Tyndrum Lower station taking passengers west towards Oban and Upper Tyndrum station continuing north towards Fort William. Get off here to hike one of these long day walks –

o  Beinn Challuim

o  Ben Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig

o  Ben Lui and Beinn a’ Chleibh 

Beinn Ime from the Beinn Narnain descent path.  © Nic Hardy

The following Munros can be accessed via bus:

•          Beinn Bhuidhe (Glen Lyon) – from a bus stop on the A83 at Clachan.
•          Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime – from a bus stop at Succoth.
•          Ben Vane and Ben Vorlich – from a bus stop in Inveruglas.
•          Beinn a’Bheithir (Sgorr Dhonuill and Sgorr Dhearg) – from a bus stop at Ballachulish Bridge.
•          Meall a’ Bhùiridh and Creise – from a bus stop at the A82 junction with Glencoe Mountain Resort.
•          Sgorr nam Fiannaidh – from a bus stop in Glencoe.
•          Meall Dearg – from a bus stop at Caolasnacon Caravan and Camping Park.
•          East Mamores Munros – from a bus stop in Kinlochleven.
•          Ben Nevis via the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête – from a bus stop in Torlundy.
•          West Mamores and the Ring of Steall – from a bus stop in Glen Nevis.

The following Munro can be accessed via bus and ferry:

•        Take a bus to Tarbet followed by a 45-minute water bus to Rowardennan to hike Ben Lomond. 

Happy car-free Munro bagging!

If you made it to the end of the article and were wondering if Mark and I managed to get back in time for cake before his return train? It was never in doubt! 

Pre-order Peak Bagging Munros: Volume 1 now where you’ll find walking routes for all of the above suggestions and more. Everyone who pre-orders the book will automatically be put into a draw to win a pair of INOV8 Roclite Pro Mid GTX boots, (men's or women's) worth £200, and the first 250 orders will come with an art print of the front cover, taken by award-winning photographer Craig Aitchison.