, photo = Cloudy Ben Vane (14364068144).jpg , photo_caption = Ben Vane seen from Ben Vorlich , elevation_m = 915 , elevation_ref = , prominence_m = 423 , prominence_ref = , coordinates = , parent_peak =

Beinn Ìme Beinn Ìme () is the highest mountain in the Arrochar Alps of Argyll, in the Southern Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. It reaches , making it a Munro. There are three usual routes of ascent. From Succoth, Argyll and Bute, Succoth, one ...

, range =

Grampian Mountains The Grampian Mountains (''Am Monadh'' in Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic) is one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland, that together occupy about half of Scotland. The other two ranges are the Northwest Highlands and the Southern Uplands. T ...

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Munro A Munro () is defined as a mountain in Scotland with a height over , and which is on the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) official list of Munros; there is no explicit topographical prominence requirement. The best known Munro is Ben Nevis ...

, Marilyn , translation = middle mountain , language =

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

, pronunciation = Gaelic , location =

Arrochar Alps The Arrochar Alps are a group of mountains located around the head of Loch Long, Loch Fyne, and Loch Goil, near the villages of Arrochar and Lochgoilhead, on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The mountains are especially popular ...

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, grid_ref_UK = NN277098 , topo = OS ''Landranger'' 56
OS ''Explorer'' 364 Schist (14082477259)

Ben Vane ( gd, Beinn Mheadhain) is a mountain in the

, in the Southern

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...

. It reaches , making it a

. It lies between

and Ben Vorlich.

Landscape

The underlying geology almost entirely comprises the

Beinn Bheula Beinn Bheula is a mountain located between Loch Goil and Loch Eck. It is part of the Arrochar Alps range. Beinn Bheula appears rugged from Lochgoilhead, with several summits, the highest of which is Caisteal Dubh (Gaelic for ''black castle''). I ...

Schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes o ...

Formation -

psammite Psammite (Greek: ''psammitēs'' "(made) from sand", from ''psammos'' "sand") is a general term for sandstone. It is equivalent to the Latin-derived term areniteU.S. Bureau of Mines Staff (1996) ''Dictionary of Mining, Mineral, & Related Terms.'' R ...

and

pelite A pelite (Greek: ''pelos'', "clay") or metapelite is a metamorphosed fine-grained sedimentary rock, i.e. mudstone or siltstone. The term was earlier used by geologists to describe a clay-rich, fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, ...

with a Siluro-Devonian dyke prominent round the northern and eastern face.
Geology of Britain Viewer It is one of the

and stands slightly separate from the other mountains of the group being connected on its western side to the neighbouring

by a low col at 492 metres. Ben Vane is characterised by steep and rugged slopes which fall away to the Inveruglas Water to the east and the Allt Coiregroigan to the south; to the north the descent is more undulating going over the subsidiary top of Beinn Dubh before falling to the valley at the north end of

Loch Sloy ''Loch Sloy'' was a Scottish sailing barque that operated between Great Britain and Australia from the late 19th century until 1899. Her name was drawn from Loch Sloy, a freshwater loch which lies to the north of the Burgh of Helensburgh, ...

. Dense forestry cloak the mountain on its lower southern slope in Allt Coiregroigan. Also on these southern slopes by the Allt Coiregroigan is a disused quarry which provided crushed stone used for the construction of the Loch Sloy dam in the late 1940s. The dam wall lies two km to the north of the quarry and a conveyor belt was constructed to carry the crushed stone over the lower slopes of Ben Vane to the batching plant beside the dam.''"The Dam Builders, Power from the Glens"'', James Miller, Page 37 Gives details of disused quarry to supply stone to Loch Sloy.

Climbing

The direct route up the mountain starts from the paid car park at grid reference opposite the Loch Sloy power station on the banks of

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Ce ...

and follows the private tarmac road by the Inveruglas Water up to the Loch Sloy

hydro Hydro from Ancient Greek word ὕδωρ (húdōr), meaning ''water''. Hydro may also refer to: Energy technologies * Water-derived power or energy: ** Hydropower, derived from water ** Hydroelectricity, in electrical form * "Hydro", AC mains ...

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

for two kilometres before striking steeply up the mountain's eastern ridge. Initially there is some boggy ground and some crags to avoid higher up but the top is easily reached after a few false summits on the way. Ben Vane can also be climbed in conjunction with some of the other Arrochar Alps, especially Beinn Ìme and

Beinn Narnain Beinn Narnain (sometimes anglicised as ''Ben Narnain'') is a mountain in the southern Highlands of Scotland, near Arrochar. It forms part of a group of hills known (unofficially) as the Arrochar Alps, and is a Munro. The name Beinn Narnain mean ...

.''"The Munros, SMC Hillwalkers Guide"'' Donald Bennett et al., Gives details of ascents. The summit of the mountain is a small plateau crowned by a cairn. The highlights of the view from the top of Ben Vane are Ben Vorlich and Loch Sloy to the northeast and the rest of the Arrochar Alps to the southwest. A' Chrois looks especially fine across the deep glen of Allt Coiregrogain. The vista to Lochs Arklet and Katrine to the east is very good.

References

{{Scottish Munros section 1 Munros Marilyns of Scotland Mountains and hills of the Southern Highlands Mountains and hills of Argyll and Bute