Guide to 50 walks and easy scrambles in north-western Scotland, covering Southern Torridon, Northern Torridon, Letterewe and Fisherfield, and the Fannichs. Ascents of 27 Munros, 20 Corbetts and 14 Grahams are included, with highlights including Liathach, Beinn Eighe, Beinn Alligin, An Teallach and Slioch. The walks are suitable for those with good navigation skills who are competent in a mountain environment.
All the walks in the guide are graded, with summary statistics provided, and each includes clear route description and mapping. There's also a route summary table to help with choosing appropriate walks. Background information on local geology, wildlife and history, and planning details on when to go, where to stay and what to take are included to make the most out of any trip to Torridon.
The region boasts spectacular and distinctive landscapes and breathtaking views. Steep-sided rocky mountains rise above long winding lochs, both freshwater and sea. From the hills there are vast panoramas out across the sea to the Hebrides and of mountains stretching out to the north, south and east. This is a land for those who love open spaces, vast horizons, and the domination of nature.
CONTENTS
Map key
Overview map
Introduction
Geology and landscape
Plants and wildlife
History and people
When to walk
Getting there
Bases and accommodation
Equipment
Access
Maps and GPS
Safety
Environmental ethics
Using this guide
Southern Torridon – Applecross and Coulin Forest
Route 1 Beinn Bhàn
Route 2 Sgùrr a’ Chaorachain
Route 3 Meall Gorm
Route 4 Sgùrr a’ Gharaidh and Glas Bheinn
Route 5 An Ruadh-Stac and Maol Chean-dearg
Route 6 Fuar Tholl and Sgorr Ruadh
Route 7 Beinn Liath Mhòr
Route 8 Circuit of Coire Làir
Route 9 Carn Breac and Beinn na Feusaige
Route 10 Beinn Damh
Route 11 Beinn na h-Eaglaise
Route 12 Ben Shieldaig
Route 13 Sgorr nan Lochan Uaine and Sgùrr Dubh
Northern Torridon – Glen Torridon to Loch Maree
Liathach
Route 14 Round the back of Liathach
Route 15 Liathach: Spidean a’ Choire Lèith
Route 16 Liathach: Mullach an Rathain
Route 17 Traverse of Liathach
Beinn Eighe
Route 18 Beinn Eighe: Ruadh-stac Mòr and Spidean Coire nan Clach
Route 19 Traverse of Beinn Eighe
Beinn Alligin
Route 20 Beinn Alligin: Tom na Gruagaich and Sgùrr Mòr
Route 21 Beinn Alligin: traverse including the Horns
Route 22 Beinn Dearg
Route 23 Meall a’ Ghiuthais and the Mountain Trail
Route 24 Ruadh-stac Beag
Route 25 Beinn a’ Chearcaill
Route 26 Baosbheinn
Route 27 Beinn an Eòin
Loch Maree to Loch Broom – Letterewe and Fisherfield
Route 28 Beinn a’ Mhùinidh
Route 29 Slioch
Route 30 Beinn Làir
Route 31 Meall Mhèinnidh
Route 32 Beinn Àirigh Charr
Route 33 Loch Maree three
Route 34 Beinn a’ Chàisgein Beag and Beinn a’ Chàisgein Mòr
Route 35 A’ Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mòr
Route 36 The Gleann na Muice ridge
Route 37 Fisherfield Six
Route 38 Beinn Dearg Mòr and Beinn Dearg Bheag
An Teallach
Route 39 An Teallach: Sgùrr Fiòna and Bidein a’ Ghlas Thuill
Route 40 Traverse of An Teallach
Route 41 Sàil Mhòr
The Fannichs
Route 42 Creag Rainich
Route 43 Beinn Bheag and Groban
Route 44 Fionn Bheinn and Meall a’ Chaorainn
Route 45 Beinn nan Ramh
Route 46 A’ Chailleach and Sgùrr Breac
Route 47 Meall a’ Chrasgaidh, Sgùrr nan Clach Geala, Sgùrr nan Each
Route 48 The eastern Fannichs
Route 49 Beinn Liath Mhòr a’ Ghiubhais Lì
Route 50 Traverse of the Fannichs
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Useful contacts
Appendix C Glossary of Gaelic words
Appendix D The Bothy Code
Appendix E Further reading
Maps and GPS
Good large-scale topographic maps are essential for navigation in the hills. Two companies make these for the Wester Ross hills – the Ordnance Survey (OS) and Harvey Maps.
Liathach, viewed from Maol Chean-dearg (Route 5)
The routes in this guide are covered by Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger sheets 24 (Raasay, Applecross and Loch Torridon), 25 (Glen Carron and Glen Carron), 20 (Beinn Dearg and Loch Broom) and 19 (Gairloch and Ullapool); and by 1:25,000 Explorer sheets 428 (Kyle of Lochalsh, Plockton and Applecross), 433 (Torridon – Beinn Eighe and Liathach), 435 (An Teallach and Slioch) and 436 (Beinn Dearg and Loch Fannich).
Harvey maps don’t cover every route, but most are on the 1:40,000 British Mountain Map – Torridon and Fisherfield; and the 1:25,000 Superwalker maps Torridon, and An Teallach and Fisherfield.
OS (https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk) and Harvey (www.harveymaps.co.uk) maps are also available to download to your phone or computer and can be printed out from the latter. Once downloaded they can be used without need of a mobile phone signal. Having both a printed map and phone mapping is a good combination as it provides a backup whichever you choose to use as your primary means of navigation.
Standard OS paper maps aren’t waterproof and need protecting in a map case. Laminated OS maps are available, but they cost more and are bulky. Harvey maps are printed on waterproof polyethylene. Many phones aren’t waterproof and need a case. This should protect against knocks too. For regular use in the hills, a rugged waterproof phone designed for outdoor use is recommended. Whatever phone you have, carrying a backup charger is a good idea.
Even if you don’t have maps on your phone, a free app called OS Locate is well worth having; it will give you a grid reference so you can plot where you are on your map. It can be downloaded from app stores.
Mountain names
The names of mountains and landscape features in Wester Ross are mostly Gaelic in origin, although some were corrupted when the first surveyors wrote down what they thought they’d heard, so the meaning is obscure. A few places have names derived from old Norse – the Vikings did come here – such as Shieldaig, which comes from sild-vik and means herring bay. An excellent book on mountain names is Peter Drummond’s Scottish Hill Names.
Certain words occur frequently in the route descriptions – for example, bealach (a pass), coire/choire (a hollow or corrie), and lochan (a small lake or pool) A glossary of common Gaelic landscape words is provided in Appendix C.