Walking Scotland's National Park walks. Ben Shian walk

Walking in Scotland's National Park - Ben Shian walk

List of medium ability walks Callander area Bracklinn Falls and Upper Crags Ben Gullipen from A81 Trossachs area Ben A'an hillwalk Bealach nam Bo Menteith Hills Achray Woods walk The Boundary Fault Trail. Strathyre/Balquhidder area Bein an t-Sithean (Shian)  Creag an Tuirc  (Balquhidder) Killin area Killin Junctn & GlenOgle Sron a Chlachain (Killin) Acharn Woods (Killin) Acharn & GlenOgle (Killin) Auchlyne & Killin Jnctn Loch Lomond area Conic Hill Climb Ben Shian -(Bein an t-Sithean = the fairy hill)  a steepish walk Start - Strathyre South carpark Height 572m Time 2 hour Rough / strenuous

The start for the Ben Shian walk is at south end of the village in the car park. Walk towards the hill through the car park and onto the old rail track bed. Turn left and follow the path over the suspension bridge until you meet the tarmac road. Turn right here and continue past the school (on your left) until about  100m past the  school, turn left on to the hill footpath, (signed).

Climb up through tall conifers for 300m to the forestry road. Turn right for about 50m. At present (March 2004) the new path is still settling so use the old path (just to the left of the taped off new path)

This interesting path zig-zags up through the mature plantation and after about half a mile emerges onto open hillside with a fabulous view down to Loch Lubnaig.

Continue over the burn and turn right up the hillside path which leads obviously upwards an initially follows the forest boundary by the burn. This path now climbs very steeply and sometimes over rocks to the first rugged hilloch (An Sidhean) . The views here are outstanding and in clear weather you may see over Balquhidder Glen and on to Lochearn to the north. The meandering River Balvaig is evident on the valley floor.

Head west from An Sidhean and down to the stile at the fence. The path veers north over a boggy stretch and then rises over another crest to bring the summit of Beinn an t-Sidhein (Ben Shian) into view. Excellent all round views here.

You may now return by the same route, or extend the walk by perhaps a mile by heading nrth-west over a trackless area to some rocky outcrops which offer good views over to Glen Buckie. On reaching this viewpoint, bear left and follow the top of the slope until you see a stile some 300m to the east. The narrow ill defined path via the stile leads to the point where you originally exited the woods on the ascent.