Fionn Bheinn and Meall a' Chaorainn from Achnasheen

The start by Achnasheen

Achnasheen sits on the the A832 between Dingwall and Torridon. There's not a lot here, but it is well served by trains on the line from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh. There is the roadside café - 'the Midge Bite' (closed due to staff shortages since June'25) and the nearby Ledgown Hotel which serves bar-food.

The walk begins by a red phone-box and if coming by car, there is parking for two or three cars by the start of the walk. Alternatively, park by the station.

More routes that can by accessed by train are listed here.

The two posts above Achnasheen

From the roadside, a sign points the start of the route initially over a bridge crossing the Allt Achadh na Sine. Turn right, through a gate (sign-posted) and follow a track uphill past a house then some dog-pens and a locked gate in a deer-fence. Immediately beyond this are some Water Authority buildings , just behind which is another gate in the deer fence, this one should be unlocked.

Through the gate and keeping the Allt Achadh na Sine on your left and with a fence tight on your right, follow a faint path uphill. The path goes around a small fenced-off water-storage area, from where you'll meet one more gate. Once through this, it's onto open hillside.

A rough and soggy path can be traced uphill cutting a route through heather. The heather gives way to grass and marsh and the gradient eases. Ahead more steep ground leads to the flat and dry area of Creagan an Laogh .

If the Allt Achadh na Sine is crossable, then instead of taking a direct and soggy route uphill, keep your boots dry by following a track leading to a small hydro scheme.

So, after going through the gate behind the Water Authority building, cross the burn and pick up the track. The track twists and turns uphill taking a leisurely route, which I reckon adds a distance of 500m compared to the direct route. The surface becomes rougher with height gained and ends by a small dam just below the 500m contour.

Aiming direct up from the hydro-scheme

Aiming direct up from the hydro-scheme

Fionn Bheinn's summit trig point and view east

On Creagan nan Laogh, there is a small cairn and ground is fairly smooth. Aim northwards following a faint path, dropping slightly to a col with a couple of small puddles (a fine photo spot taking in Torridon in the background). The path can be traced a bit further northwards aiming for a patch of rocks and boulders , but disappears before reaching them.

Just behind the boulders is the summit crest of Fionn Bheinn above its coire, Toll Mòr. A path leads westwards, dropping to a dip before the final bit of hiking to Fionn Bheinn's summit. There is a trig point on the top, from where views on clear days are vast.

Heading down the track below the hydro-scheme

The return is simply a case of re-tracing your steps. The route can be short-cut slightly by aiming from the dip on Fionn Bheinn's crest directly to Creagan nan Laogh or even to the dam - however, expect the terrain underfoot to be quite lumpy and a bit soggy !

From the dam turn north-west and follow the course of the Allt Achadh na Sine upstream. Gradually the terrain underfoot becomes lumpy making for trial and error in finding a route around peat-hags and small lochans.

The base of Meall a' Chaorainn is reached, from where a fairly straightforward, steep and direct ascent is made up heather and grass. The hill's top is rather flat, on which a small cairn marks its highest point .

To continue on towards Fionn Bheinn, there are some crags to be avoided, so I made for a return the way I took up, then from the base of the hill, turned north-east to cross even more damp ground to begin an ascent of Fionn Bheinn aiming directly for the summit up its grass-covered south-facing slopes.

Meall a' Chaorainn from the east

Meall a' Chaorainn from the east