Stuc Odhar Circuit

Stuc Odhar is often overlooked due to being dwarfed by its better known neighbour Ben Ledi. However, if the crowds on Ben Ledi are off-putting for you, this 638m summit makes for a fine alternative.

  • Distance: 11 km / 7 miles
  • Ascent: 700m / 2300 feet
  • Terrain: Mix of manufactured paths, trodden paths and off path. Can be wet underfoot in places.
  • Start/finish: Lendrick Hill car park / visitor centre near Brig O’Turk off the A821. Grid reference: NN 546 065. Free parking and toilets available at the Woodland Trust visitor centre.

Route Map

route map for Stuc Odhar Circuit

Leave the car park following the waymarked trails over the wooden bridge. The constructed path heads up the hill. Keep straight on for 700m, on the main path, ignoring paths to the right until an obvious signpost is reached at a T junction. Go right here following the sign for Callander, still on a constructed path. Approximately 550m along this path is a blue waymarker post pointing left up the hill.

Follow this waymarker on the trodden hill path. Although an obvious path, it can be somewhat wet underfoot at times. From time to time there are a waymarker posts as the path meanders its way up the hillside. The path climbs up the hill for almost 1.5km gaining 250m in height until it turns left at a deer fence. Cross the fence on the convenient stile (grid ref NN 5520 0807) to reach the open hillside. Make your way up the hillside picking your own route. The easiest option is probably to use the grassy rake through the heather where there are a traces of a feint path. An old fence line then follows the skyline and provides a good navigation feature. Turn left (northwest) to follow this fence on a bit of a path. Keep to the fence line when the path diverts off to the left, until you reach the final approach to the summit. This next bit is somewhat steep and is probably easiest tackled by bearing left and doing a zig zag up the slope to reach the summit cairn.

Descend in a roughly northwest direction picking your route down the initially steep slope. However, the terrain very quickly becomes easier on rough grass. The deer fence makes a reappearance to your left and can be followed down the hill. As height is lost it may be possible to pick up traces of an ATV track. Turn left on reaching the landrover track through Gleann Casaig. Follow the surfaced track downhill for 1.5km towards the Glen Finglas Reservoir. At the foot of the track, near a farm, turn left onto another landrover track.

Stay on the track keeping straight on when the first blue waymarker post is reached. 900m after joining the second landrover track, an obvious signpost is reached. Turn left at this signpost onto a surfaced path which again is part of the blue waymarked route. This path undulates its way around the southwestern slopes of Stuc Odhar for approximately 2.3km to reach the obvious signpost close to the start point. However, before reaching the signpost there is a short detour to a viewpoint for an attractive waterfall which is worth including. At the signpost, turn right down the hill on the path back to the car park. The return can be varied by part way down, bearing left onto a grass path through the woods. The path winds its way through the trees to rejoin the main path where you turn left to continue downhill back to the car park.

More information on Glen Finglas is available from the Woodland Trust and there is a downloadable leaflet of waymarked trails in the area.