Monar's Big 9

Railway crossing at Craig

West of Inverness and the Black Isle, the A890 travels from Achnasheen through Glen Carron towards Lochcarron and Kyle of Lochalsh. On the road, around halfway between Achnasheen and Lochcarron, is the collection of houses that make up Craig.

In Craig, there is a railway crossing, opposite which is the entrance to Achnashellach Forest car-park, where there is room for around 10 cars in the dense woodland. Beware, midgies can be ferocious in the shelter of the trees !

If intending to arrive by train, the Inverness to Kyle line passes through Craig, with the nearest station being at Achnashellach Halt, around 4km to the west.

On the track to Pollan Buidhe, Fuar Tholl in distance

Leaving the forestry car park behind, cross the A890 to reach the railway crossing and head through the gates over the line.

Once in the field, which may have livestock or stag-ponies, follow an estate track eastwards towards the woodland by the River Carron. Cross the bridge over the river, and at the split in the tracks, take the left track heading uphill.

The track ascends steeply for about 1km, reaching a junction with a signpost pointing right to woodland. Keep left on the uphill track

Continue uphill for another 1km until you reach a deer fence enclosing the forest, with a gate and side entrance . Pass through the gate and ascend a bit more to arrive at the head of a hidden glen, where the track turns southward. The track descends slightly and passes another branch leading to a dam over the Allt a' Chonas.

(If not cycling and intending to bag Sgùrr na Feartaig, then just beyond the track to the dam is a rather rickety bridge - this leads to a direct route up this Corbett. See 'Sgùrr na Feartaig from Craig' in 'Alternative and nearby routes' at the bottom of this page.)

Crossing the wire bridge at Pollan Buidhe

Crossing the wire bridge at Pollan Buidhe

Beinn Tharsuinn from Sgùrr na Feartaig

On foot, follow the worn and soggy path heading southeast from the small cairn until you reach a wire bridge over the Allt a'Chonais.

Cross the wire bridge carefully - it's a fun but challenging crossing - and continue along the track beginning on the opposite side of the river for about 300m until it ends abruptly. From here, follow a rough stalker's path, which climbs gently for approximately 2km, reaching Bealach Bhearnais where three hillsides converge.

A short, sharp detour, north-west up tussocky ground will get the Corbett, Sgùrr na Feartaig bagged.

From Bealach Bhearnais, head directly up the steep, grassy north-east shoulder of Beinn Tharsuinn. It levels out onto ground with short grass, making for pleasant progress.

Sgùrr na Conbhaire and Loch Monar from Beinn Tharsuinn

Sgùrr na Conbhaire and Loch Monar from Beinn Tharsuinn

Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich from Beinn Tharsuinn

Head south-west from Beinn Tharsuinn's cairn, picking a route mainly on grass between patches of boulders to drop to a flat area with a lochan.

Keeping to the north side of this lochan, gradually turn in a more westerly direction to clamber down a blunt nose to a wide crest that leads onto a bealach below Beinn Tharsuinn's western summit.

At the lowest point on the bealach , turn south-west and begin to loose height on a grass-covered hillside.

Having dropped around 150m, a wall is met and followed down to Bealach an Sgoltaidh below Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich. Cross onto the west side of the wall and start climbing uphill.

As the ground steepens, a faint path forms which aims straight uphill, then briefly veers slightly to the right. The path climbs a little more, then turns left to join a grassy terrace between some layers of crags. The bottom of an obvious grassy gully is reached, which is climbed (easier than it looks) as it heads up to a small cairn quite close to a small lochan .

Lurg Mhòr from on the way up Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich

Lurg Mhòr from on the way up Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich

Lurg Mhòr from Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich

From Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich's small cairn, follow the path initially south-west along the hill's narrow summit crest. There are a couple of sections of bare rock which when wet will require a little care to cross.

As the crest widens, the path turns south-east and drops down grassy slopes, badly worn in bits, aiming towards Bealach Cul an Torrain . On the northern side of this bealach is a section of old wall - ideal shelter out of winds.

Looking south-east from the bealach, a worn path can be seen zig-zagging up the bouldery ground above. Follow this path to reach more level ground where the bouldery terrain is left behind and a little lochan is passed.

Heading up Lurg Mhòr from Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich

Heading up Lurg Mhòr from Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich

The burn below Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich

From Lurg Mhòr's cairn, head south-east over grass-covered terrain and follow the edge of the mountain's north-facing coire. The route ahead narrows to a crest and turns eastwards. Now on more rocky terrain, begin to descend towards a col . There is some easy scrambling and bounding over boulders and one tricky little step which needs to be tackled head on.

Beyond the col, progress is over much easier terrain as the ridge gradually widens to reach a small cairn sitting in the middle Meall Mòr's vast grass-covered summit plateau.

Leaving the small cairn on Meall Mòr behind, continue following the hill's crest for another 400m or so, then turn initially northwards and begin to descend towards the western end of Loch Monar. Turning north-east progress is down steep, wet, grassy ground encountering a small, old, mucky hut above the loch's shore for brief shelter out of rain or wind.

(If you'd prefer to avoid the scramble to Lurg Mhòr's eastern top, then an alternative is return to Bealach Cul an Torrain , then, on grassy ground, follow the burn tumbling north-east down towards the western end of Loch Monar.

An escape route can also be taken from the western end of Loch Monar by following ATV tracks up the eastern side of the Allt Bealach Crudhain back to Bealach Bhearnais .)

Ahead and above looms the steep, wide and grass-covered slope of Sgùrr na Conbhaire, the ascent of which is straightforward, but relentless. At around the 700m contour, the wide slope begins to narrow to a crest which is followed to the top of Sgùrr na Conbhaire .

From Sgùrr na Conbhaire's summit, a faint path is picked up to follow northwards along a wide ridge, initially downwards to a col, then up to Sgùrr Chòinnich's south-eastern summit , sitting at the end of a wide grass-covered ridge above the steep face of Coire Chòinnich.

On the ridge between Sgùrr na Conbhaire and Sgùrr Choinnich

On the ridge between Sgùrr na Conbhaire and Sgùrr Choinnich

Beginning the descent to Bealach Coire Choinnich

From Sgùrr Chòinnich's summit, return back along its crest to the small cairn on its south-eastern top .

Begin to head east-north-east, descending down a worn path. The path zig-zags as it tries to pick a way down the easiest terrain though some bare rock needs crossing as Bealach Coire Chòinnich , the col between Sgùrr Chòinnich and Sgùrr a' Chaorachain, is neared.

After crossing the grass-covered col, the initial climb up Sgùrr a' Chaorachain's western shoulder is quite rough, with some clambering up rocky terrain.

On the way up Sgùrr a' Chaorachain, Sgùrr Chòinnich behind

On the way up Sgùrr a' Chaorachain, Sgùrr Chòinnich behind

Càrn nam Fiaclan above Drochaid Mhuilich

From Sgùrr a' Chaorachain's summit, begin to head northwards down wide grass-covered slope.

(An escape route can be made from here directly back to Pollan Buidhe. See ' Munros above Loch Monar' in 'Alternative and nearby routes' at the bottom of this page.)

There is no path to trace as the slope of the hill is descended as it turns around Lochan Gaineamhach to reach heather-clad ground lower down.

The Allt an Lochan Ghaineamhaich is easily hopped over, followed by a crossing of the flat ground of Drochaid Mhuilich to reach the foot of Càrn nam Fiaclan.

Above and ahead, a path can be seen picking a route through heather, then loose stoney ground higher up, which requires the occasional bit of clambering. Onto the wide crest of Càrn nam Fiaclan, terrain leading to the summit is mostly grass-covered interspersed with boulderfield and lines of rock.

Càrn nam Fiaclan above Fuar-tholl Mor

Càrn nam Fiaclan above Fuar-tholl Mor

Descending Maoile Lunndaidh towards Glen Uig

To descend Maoile Lunndaidh to Glen Uig, leave the summit and head slightly west of north down a wide slope, mainly grass-covered but soggy in bits with a few patches of boulderfield. After around 1km, cross a small burn, begin to turn westwards and drop down onto the western arm of the minor summit of Creag Dhubh Mhòr.

Follow the line of Creag Dhubh Mhòr's shoulder westwards, then as descent steepens, aim north-west, to lose more height to cross the burn tumbling down from Fuar-tholl Mòr.

Now in Glen Uig, cross the River Meig (which should be straightforward), then head towards Glenuaig Lodge, on the way picking up an ATV track in the glen. Before reaching the lodge, the foot of a stalker's path is met.

Begin to head up the stalker's track as it climbs directly uphill. Higher up the track twists and turns, then disappears at around a height of 750m. A faint path continues north-westwards from the end of the stalker's track and shortly thereafter crosses a burn. A direct hike aimibg north-west over wet tussocky ground gains the cairns on Moruisg's summit crest.

The larger cairn on Moruisg with Torridon behind

The larger cairn on Moruisg with Torridon behind

Sgùrr nan Ceannaichean above Coire Toll nam Bian

To continue onwards to Sgùrr nan Ceannaichean, leave the cairns on Moruisg and head south-west. A faint but fairly easy to follow path can be traced as it sticks to the line of the crest above the rim and crags of Coire Toll nam Bian.

Further on, the path turns south-west, then west and drops down to a grassy bealach . Just north of the bealach some shelter amongst rocks can be found to get out of any westerly winds.

The path climbs out of the bealach and up some grassy hillsides then onto Sgùrr nan Ceanaichean's north-eastern shoulder. Once up here, a short walk of around reaches a short steep section, where the path zig-zags up through some loose rocky terrain then gains the summit .

Nearing the summit of Sgùrr nan Ceannaichean, Moruisg behind

Nearing the summit of Sgùrr nan Ceannaichean, Moruisg behind

Waterfall by Pollan Buidhe

Proceed south-west from Sgùrr nan Ceannaichean's southerly cairn and after dropping around 200m, you'll meet a stalker's track .

Follow this track as it twists and turns down Sgùrr nan Ceannaichean's south-west facing slopes towards Glen Uig and Pollan Buidhe. The track travelling through the glen is met, from where a brief walk of around 750m returns to where you've left your bike .

Free-wheeling down Glen Carron

Free-wheeling down Glen Carron