Beinn a' Mhùinidh from Incheril

Incheril below the Black Carls of Beinn Eighe

The small village of Kinlochewe sits by the southern end of Loch Maree and on the junction on the A832 where the A896 heads off towards Glen Torridon.

Just to the east of Kinlochewe and on the A832, a sign points to Incheril from where a narrow road heads over the Abhainn Bruachaig and 700m further on reaches its end by a large car-park surrounded by birch trees.

Kinlochewe has most of the services needed by visitors including a petrol station, hotel, bunkhouse, shop, café and public toilets.

One of the many lochans east of Meallan Ghobhar

From the north end of the Incheril car park, go through the gate in the tall deer fence and turn right onto a rough ATV track. Follow it around the back of a house to meet the estate road heading for the Heights of Kinlochewe.

Just after joining the road, leave it and climb the hillside ahead, picking up a faint path - likely a deer trod - through bracken and heather. After a steep but short pull of about 150m, the ground eases and the southern slopes of Beinn a’ Mhùinidh's summit come into view, still nearly 4km away.

Keep broadly north over delightful, undulating, pathless ground of grass and heather for around 2km. On route, a large lochan is passed some 30m below; further on another lochan is met - one of several beneath Meallan Ghobhar, Beinn a’ Mhùinidh's minor southern top.

The gradient gradually steepens, rising onto Beinn a’ Mhùinidh’s summit plateau. Another little lochan is passed, followed by one final small watery patch to reach the hill's summit cairn .

Stags below the final approach to Beinn a' Mhùinidh's summit plateau

Stags below the final approach to Beinn a' Mhùinidh's summit plateau

Slioch from the summit cairn on Beinn a' Mhùinidh

The way back can be made by retracing steps. However, to appreciate Beinn a’ Mhùinidh’s crags, a finer circuit returns via Gleann Bianasdail.

From Beinn a’ Mhùinidh’s summit, a line is taken north-east, then curved north towards the head of Cadha a’ Ghobhainn . This corrie is entered and its burn is followed downstream as it slides through a gorge.

An old fence-line is reached with Beinn a’ Mhùinidh’s northwest-facing crags steadily brought into view. The fence-line is followed for roughly 2km until the floor of Gleann Bianasdail eases .

Before the fence-line crosses above a waterfall on the Abhainn an Fhasaigh, the river is forded to gain the clear path on the far bank. This path is followed downstream to meet with the Slioch path, which is taken to the footbridge over the Abhainn an Fhasaigh and onward back to Incheril.

Fenceline in Gleann Bianasdail

Fenceline in Gleann Bianasdail