The Munros - Scotland's Highest Mountains NW Highlands SMC

 The Scottish Highlands


Kintail
The High Mountains of Britain & Ireland Northern Highlands

Photographs and maps of Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow ),

 A'Ghlas Beinn and Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan

 in Kintail

Beinn Fhada ( Attow ) above Gleann Lichd in NW Highlands of Scotland

 Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow )  - 3386ft, 1032m

 - above Gleann Lichd





Approach to Beinn Fhada ( Attow ) in Gleann Lichd in NW Highlands of Scotland

  Gleann Lichd

 on route to Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow )




Beinn Fhada ( Attow ) in Gleann Lichd in NW Highlands of Scotland

 Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow )  - 3386ft, 1032m

 - in Gleann Lichd




Summit of Beinn Fhada ( Attow )

Summit of Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow )





Summit Plateau of Beinn Fhada ( Attow )

Summit Plateau of Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow )




Summit Plateau of Beinn Fhada ( Attow )

Summit Plateau of Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow )



Beinn Fhada ( Attow )

Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow )




Beinn Fhada ( Attow )

Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow )





Map of Beinn Fhada ( Attow )

Map of Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow )



Map of Beinn Fhada ( Attow ), A' Ghlas Bheinn and Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan

Map of Beinn Fhada ( Ben Attow ),

A' Ghlas Bheinn

and Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan






Map of Carn Eighe

Map of Carn Eighe





Gleann Choinneachain

Gleann Choinneachain




A Ghlas Bheinn

A' Ghlas Bheinn


A Ghlas Bheinn

A' Ghlas Bheinn

A Ghlas Bheinn

A' Ghlas Bheinn





Map of A'Ghlas-bheinn

Map of A'Ghlas-bheinn





A'GHLAS-BHEINN - ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

Location: Wester Ross
Grade: Serious mountain walk
Distance: 12 miles/20km
Time: 7-8 hours

A'Ghlas-bheinn dominates Strath Croe at the head of Loch Duich in Kintail.
As Munros g
o it doesn’t appear to be very popular amongst hill-walkers, perhaps because it was described in an early Scottish
Mountaineering Club guide as ‘not a particularly interesting mountain', but its ascent forms an agreeable variation on the walk from Loch
Duich to the Falls of Glomach. A recent word on the subject from the SMC, in their guide to the Munros, is equally disparaging. ‘A
rather small and insignificant hill’, it says, and goes on to gloss over the route in half a dozen lines.
The mountain undoubtedly suffers from its close proximity to the high and shapely peaks of Kintail, and in particular corrie-sculpted Bheinn Fhada to which
it appears to have been stuck on as some sort of mountaineering addendum.
Guidebooks  suggest you climb both hills in one outing, With an ascent of A’Ghlas-bheinn obligatory only because it reaches Munro height,
and therein lies the nub of the problem. The lure of doubling their Munro tally for the day is too great for most baggers, and one of the great
delights of post Munro compleation is the freedom to spend more time on individual hills. That’s perhaps why it’s good to include a visit to
the impressive Falls of Glomach when climbing A’Ghlas-bheinn.
From Loch Duich-side A’Ghlas-bheinn appears as a retiring, knobbly hill, with long, gnarly fingers reaching down towards Glen Croe at its foot.
The broadest
of these fingers forms the hill’s west ridge, the most popular, albeit relatively uninteresting, route of ascent.
The Falls of Glomach lie on the north side of the mountain and can be accessed easily enough from the Bealach na Sroine from where it’s a
simple climb to the summit.
It was just below this high pass that the great mountaineer Frank Smythe had a strange experience.
After his visit in 1942, Smythe wrote of seeing a ‘pitiful procession’ coming towards him. He described a band of people climbing up a
narrow defile, when ‘concealed men leapt to their feet and brandishing spears, axes and clubs, rushed down with wild yells on the unfortunates
beneath. There was a short, fierce struggle, then a horrible massacre.
Not a man, woman or child was left alive: the defile was choked with corpses.’
Smythe was convinced he had been given a glimpse into some ancient page of Highland history, the kind of psychic experience
that curiously, is comparatively widespread amongst hill-going folk.
The top of the Falls of Glomach lies about 1.5km beyond the Bealach na Sroine and involves a descent of about 200 metres.
As you drop down from the pass you’ll notice the sprawling strath of Gleann Gaorsaic and its various streams and burns that feed the
main river, watercourses that drain the slopes of big mountains like Beinn Fhada and the magnificently sculpted Sgurr nan, Ceathrearnhnan.
All that water is harnessed into a single stream and then directed into a narrow, rocky cleft where it plunges for some 130 metres into a
deep, black chasm. Needless to say great care should be taken on the normally wet path that skirts the top of the falls.
Once you’ve visited the falls and climbed A’Ghlas-bheinn from the Bealach na Sroine it’s a long and bumpy descent by the south-east
ridge to the Bealach na Sgairne, the pass where the stones make noise.
Bear that in mind if you hear any strange sounds, for apparitions have been seen here too.
On the trail that winds its way back to Strath Croe some walkers once passed a tall, thin man with a white beard, hand in hand with
a small girl wrapped up in a cloak and a hood. After making local enquiries they were convinced they had met the ghosts of  Osgood Mackenzie,
the great
botanist and creator of Inverewe Gardens, and his daughter Mhairi. Mackenzie had died some 30 years previously.

ROUTE PLANNER:

Map: OS Landranger Sheet 33 ( Loch Alsh, Glen Shiel & Loch Hourn ); Harveys’ 1:40,000s British Mountain Map, Knoydart, Kintail & Glen Afiric.
Start / Finish: Car park at Morvich, off A87 ( GR: NG960211 )
Distance: 12 miles / 20km
Approx Time: 7-8 hours
Transport: Cltylink buses from Glasgow stop at Shiel Bridge. Details from wwwtravelinescotland.com
Information: www.smc.org.uk/publications/Munroe

Route:

Follow the road to I
nchnacroe where a path, signposted to the Falls of Glomach, runs N then NE to cross the river below Durusduain.
Continue on the
signposted path to the bridge over the Allt an Leoid Ghaineamhaich.
Cross the bridge and follow the path as it turns R and ascends the slopes above the burn to the Bealach na Sroine.
Cross the
bealach and descend NE to the Allt a’ Ghldmaich above the Falls.
Follow the path down beside the falls, taking great care on the slippery path, to where a natural flat platform offfers the best views of the Falls.
Return to the top of the falls
and walk back to the Bealach na Sroine.
Climb S to the summit of A’
Ghlas-bheinn and descend S to the Bealach an Sgairne.
Follow the path
W down Gleann Choinneachain back to the starting point.





Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan

Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan



Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan

Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan





Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan

Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan





Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan

Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan





Mullach an Dheiragain from Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan

Mullach an Dheiragain from Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan





Mullach an Dheiragain

Mullach an Dheiragain



Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan from Mullach an Dheiragain

Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan from Mullach an Dheiragain



Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan

Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan




Mullach Fraoch-choire from Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan

Mullach Fraoch-choire

from
Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan





Mullach Fraoch-choire ridge






Glen Affric

Above Glen Affric






Glen Affric

Above Glen Affric






Glen Affric

Above Glen Affric





Glen Affric

Above Glen Affric





Glen Affric

Above Glen Affric





Glen Affric

Above Glen Affric





View from Carn Eighe

View from Carn Eighe

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Guide Books & Maps - Scotland:-


Torridon - Ben Eighe & Liathach - OS Explorer MapLandranger Map 0024: Raasay, Applecross & Loch Torridon & Plockton

 

The Munros Map Torridon Map Kintail, Glen Shiel - Map Torridon - Beinn Eighe & Liathach An Teallach & Slioch - OS Explorer Map Applecross & Loch Torridon - OS Landranger Map Gairloch, Ullapool & Loch Maree OS Map Western Scotland & the Western Isles OS Road Map Northern Scotland OS Road Map Southern Scotland OS Road Map





  

The High Mountains of Britain & Ireland  Munros Tables SMC  The Munros - Scotland's Highest Mountains  Scotland - Lonely Planet  NW Highlands - SMC Guide  Exploring the Far NW of Scotland  Guide to Walks in NW Highlands

Walking in Scotland - Lonely Planet Mountain: Exploring Britain's High Places  National 3 Peaks Walk Scottish Highlands Hillwalking Guide The Scottish Islands Bouldering in Scotland

Pathfinder Guide: Skye and NW Highlands WalksNW Highlands SMC Torridon: A Walkers Guide The Munros: Scottish Mountaineering Club Northern Highlands Northern Highlands, Volume 1 - SMC Northern Highlands, Volume 2 - SMC Highland Outcrops Scottish Winter Climbs

Knoydart to Morven West Highlands The Munros and Tops The Corbetts - SMC Munros & Corbetts Chart The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland Pathfinder Guide: Skye and NW Highlands Walks

Ben Nevis - Scotland's Highest Mountain Ben Nevis: Rock & Ice ClimbsThe High Mountains of Britain and Ireland Rambler's Guide: Ben Nevis and Glen CoeWinter Climbs: Ben Nevis and Glencoe Ben Nevis Rock & Ice Climbs Great Snow & Ice Climbs of the British IslesPathfinder Guide: Fort William and Glen Coe Walks Scrambles in Lochaber

Scottish Winter ClimbsMunros & Corbetts Chart Call of the Corbetts Wilderness Walks 2 - Video

Rock Climbing in Scotland Classic Mountain Scrambles in Scotland Scotland - Lonely PlanetScotland's Highlands & Islands - Lonley Planet Scotland's Highlands & Islands - Rough Guide Highlands & Islands of Scotland - Hidden Places Scotlands 100 Best WalksCentral Highlands: Six Long Distance Walks Rough Guide Scotland

Scottish Highlands & Islands - Rough Guide The Munros - Scotland's highest mountains My Scotland by Hamish MacInnes Scottish Mountains - 50 Classic RoutesThe CuillinsScottish Mountains - 100 Best Routes

Munro Almanac The Munros Map The Munros: Scottish Mountaineering Club The Isle of Skye The Isle of Arran Wilderness Walks Ski Mountaineering in Scotland Classic Walks in Britain & Ireland

More Wilderness Walks 50 Best Routes on Skye and Raasay Skye - W.A.PoucherMagic of the Munros Mountaineering in Scotland and Undiscovered Scotland by W.H.MurrayA Long Walk on the Isle of Skye

Classic Climbs - Central & Southern Highlands The Isle of Arran Lonely Planet, Walking in ScotlandPathfinder Guide: Skye and NW Highlands Walks 50 Best Routes on Skye and Raasay - Chris Townsend 100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains Scrambles in Skye Mountain Days & Bothy Nights

Walking in the Hebrides Torridon: A Walkers Guide Ski Touring in ScotlandRough Guide: Scotland A Mountaineer's Tale - W.H.MurrayDougal Haston: Philosophy of RiskOne Man's Mountains - Tom Patey Big Walks of Great Britain

The Glens of Rannoch Cairngorm Glens Glens of Trossach Knoydart to Morven Scottish Glens: The Atholl GlensSouthern Highlands - Map Northern Highlands The Munro Show 1 & 2 - Muriel Gray

The Cairngorms Cairngorms Walks Cairngorm - Map Walks in the Cairngorms Lochnagar & Glenshee - Map The Cairngorms of Scotland Cairngorms - Mountain Bike GuideWinter Climbs in the Caingorms

West Highland Way: Official GuideWest Highland Way: Rucksac ReadersWest Highland Way: TrailblazerThe West Highland WayWest Highland Way: Footprint Map West Highland Way - Map West Highland Way - Map 100 Hillwalks around Glasgow

50 Walks in Glasgow & SW Scotland 50 Walks in the Scottish Highlands & Islands 50 Walks in Edinburgh & Eastern Scotland 100 Walks in ScotlandVisit Scotland - Touring Guide Scotland: Where to Stay - Hotels & Guest Houses Scotland: Where to Stay - Bed & Breakfast Walking the Munros Vol 2: Northern Highlands & CairngormsWalking the Munros Vol 1: Southern, Central & Western Highlands

Hillwalker: The MunrosHillwalker: The CorbettsWeather for Hillwakers & Climbers Mountain Weather Guide to the Weather Weather: Collins Gem Hillwalking Handbook for Mountain Leaders First Aid on Mountains

All Mountain Skier Off Piste World's most significant ClimbsMountain Travellers HandbookMountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills Hillwalkers Guide to Mountaineering 200 Challenging Walks in Britain & Ireland

Ice & Mixed Climbing How to Ice Climb Complete Climbers Handbook Mountain Skills Training Handbook Autumn Road to the IslesDiscovering Scotland - Atlas & Guide Scotland Travel Guide Lonely Planet Scotland - The Wild Places - Colin Prior









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