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  Moidart Corbetts  

Click to view the route on zoomable OS 1:50000 maps and aerial photos

Corbetts

An Stac (814m)
Sgurr na Ba Glaise (874m)
Rois-Bheinn (882m)

Ascent

1375m (4,500ft)

Distance  

10km (6m)

Time

walking : 4:50hr*, running : 2:20hr
 *Naismith's rule : 4km/h distance + 600m/h ascent


Main route summary


The 3 Corbetts above Loch Ailort form a compact group, easily climbed in an afternoon.

Sitting on grassy terrain, the craggy summits are suprisingly easily attained. Most people climb these peaks from near the Lochailort Hotel to the north, however heading from Alisay to the west is far shorter and makes for a delightful circuit. Access on the lower slopes is on pathless and generally wet grass and rush covered ground. Higher up walls aid navigation, but paths are faint and still few and far between.

The views from all the summits, and in particular the interupted panoramas from An Stac and the western top of Rois-Bheinn are superb westwards over to Rhum and Skye.

profile
location
start/finish 4km sw of Lochailort Hotel on A861
(grid ref : NM740795)

maps/guides  OS Landranger 40 OS Explorer 390 Pocket Mountains - Classic Hill Runs and Races - click to buy from Amazon

GPX data download GPX file of this route

terrain
easy Mainly grass and rush, wet in bits difficult
navigation
easy Obvious route, though entirely pathless, a wall followed up Rois-Bheinn testing
effort
stroll Fairly easy, though steep up An Stac long day
scenery
ok Stunning uninterupted views westwards stunning
 
meanings An Stac :
    'the stack'
Sgurr na Ba Glaise :
    'peak of the grey cow'
Rois-Bheinn :
    'hill of showers'
main route outlineprint route
Getting there
On the A861 4km south-west of Lochailort Hotel and 2km east of Roshven Farm there is a gate to Ailsary. Parking is not possible by the gate, however there is space for a couple of cars 400m to the north of the gate, just on the north side of the bridge over the Alisary Burn. Another couple of spaces are just to the south of the track.

An Stac
The gate has a sign with "danger", the other text has since faded. I suspect the "danger" is the livestock - a few pigs were wandering in a fenced-off area when I was last in here. Through the gate and head up track through birch forest to reach a wooden house by Alisary Burn. Just before house, turn right, over a gate and follow the edge of the forest uphill. The ground is pathless, wet and in bits quite slippy. At around c200m the forest ends - turn right and follow the deer-fence breifly uphill. As the deer-fence reaches its highest point, leave it and continue east-south-east uphill for another 150m of ascent over wet grass and rush. The ground levels and a wall is met - cross it, then make a direct ascent of An Stac. The rocky outcrops are easily passed on the left side. The summit is quite rocky, with only a small pile of stones guised as a cairn. Excellent views !

Sgurr na Ba Glaise
From An Stac's summit, aim generally south, zig-zagging to avoid occasional rocky outcrops. Reach the wet bealach above Coire na Cnamha and meet up with the wall again. Follow the wall over wet, then steep ground up to Bealach an Fhiona. Once on the crest, turn left away from the wall and follow the crest of the hill, initially dropping a few metres. Perhaps keep slightly to the south of the crest, as the terrain is easier underfoot - grass instead of rock. Sgurr na Ba Glaise is a short easy stroll ahead over more pleasant grass. A small cairn marks the summit above the last short pull.

Rois-Bheinn
Return to Bealach an Fhiona, then follow the wall up. Grass gives way to more bouldery ground as Rois-Bheinn's summit is neared. A small summit cairn sits by the wall on the summit - the trig point is no longer ! The views are excellent, though if you make the effort, uninterupted views can be had from the western top, which is reached by following the wall. A well constructed cairn sits on this - almost if it was designed specifically for people to sit and take in the views for hours.

Return
In summmer, it's easy enough to return to the col between Rois-Bheinn's tops, then aim north dropping down steep ground to eventually return down back via Alisay Burn. In winter this route is not to be recommended as the ground to the north of the col will be iced over. You could return to Bealach an Fhiona and follow the wall down to reach Alisay Burn. Alternatively, from Rois-Bheinn's western summit, head west and drop on easy grass and rush covered ground to around c500m, then turn north-west-north and aim for the road below. At around c100m, a high deer-fence will be encountered, then thick birch-forest and ferns will need negotiating, along with a further deer fence when approaching the road. A 1km walk back along the road awaits.




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