Munros north of Loch Mullardoch

Loch Mullardoch Dam

West of Inverness, the A831 heads from Beauly through Strathglass and Glen Urquhart to Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness. At the southern end of Strathglass is the village of Cannich.

In Cannich, by the traffic lights and aside the bridge over the River Cannich, a narrow road signposted to Glen Cannich and Mullardoch heads uphill. Drive up this as it climbs then drops down to the River Cannich. The road follows the river upstream, crossing it to its northern bank to travel to a junction below the Loch Mullardoch Dam.

Taking the right fork, drive towards the foot of Loch Mullardoch Dam, where there is a grassy area suitable for parking.

An Socach from the track by the Allt Coire a' Mhaim

The best way to kick off this route is undoubtedly by hiring the Loch Mullardoch Ferry to drop you off at the foot of An Socach. Booking in advance is highly recommended, with the cost being £40 - a small price for such a unique and enjoyable experience (check out Angus's Facebook page for details).

The boat drops hikers off just beyond the narrows of the loch and near the ruins of a couple of old houses .

The day's hillwalking begins with a climb up a steep, grassy slope leading to the peat-hagged plateau west of Meall Bac a' Chul-dhoire. The terrain is a bit uneven, requiring some hopping and weaving, but soon you'll reach the base of An Socach's southeastern shoulder, where a steeper ascent awaits.

As you gain height up An Socach's shoulder, a faint path begins to emerge, guiding you above the rugged terraces of Coire Mhàim.

The steep climb gradually eases, giving way to gentler grassy slopes. From here, you'll traverse An Socach's summit crest, which elegantly curves around the coire rim.

Approaching An Socach's summit with Applecross and Coulin in the distance

Approaching An Socach's summit with Applecross and Coulin in the distance

Descending An Socach to Bealach a' Bholla

From An Socach's summit trig point, follow the well-worn path along the narrowing crest travelling eastwards. After a short distance, you'll reach a minor top on An Socach's east arm, beyond which the path twists and turns as it descends steeply to reach the often windy col of Bealach a' Bholla .

After crossing the grassy bealach, there's a little steep and rocky nose to clamber up before a more gentle grassy ridge is crossed to aim for a minor 'Munro Top' , which can be bypassed on its southern side. Beyond the top, a grass-covered crest travelling south-eastwards is gained with the path obvious along its length.

At the south-eastern end of the grassy ridge, the base of a short but loose and rocky ascent is reached. A straightforward clamber up this gains the flat area of An Riabhachan's south-western 'Munro Top' marked by a small cairn on some rocky ground.

Approaching An Riabhachan's summit from the south-west

Approaching An Riabhachan's summit from the south-west

Descending to Bealach Toll an Lochain

From An Riabhachan's summit cairn, follow the broad, grassy crest north-eastward for around 750m to a second cairn overlooking Coire Gnada. From here, the path leads downhill as the crest narrows to a ridge. The ridge broadens and descends gently down Creagan Toll an Lochain, the mountain's eastern shoulder. The terrain is softer and more forgiving slightly south of the crest, offering easier footing as you make your way downhill.

As you approach Bealach Toll an Lochain , the path becomes more defined. Just southeast of the bealach, you'll find a burn - perfect for topping up water bottles if needed. The bealach itself is often soggy !

Leaving the bealach, begin the ascent toward Sgùrr na Lapaich. Following the path, an unrelenting climb up a continuous grassy slope gains around 300m.

As you near the summit, the path becomes fainter but leads confidently to the Sgùrr na Lapaich's highest point . A trig point stands on bouldery ground where sweeping views northwards are dominated by Lurg Mhòr stretched above Loch Monar.

Nearing Sgùrr na Lapaich's summit, looking back to An Riabhachan

Nearing Sgùrr na Lapaich's summit, looking back to An Riabhachan

Bouldery ground below Sgùrr na Lapaich's summit

From the summit of Sgùrr na Lapaich, begin your descent by briefly heading eastward along the grass-covered crest. The faint traces of a path come to the head of bouldery terrain - the route down this is not immediately obvious. Initially head north-east and you should find a grass embankment heading south-eastwards downhill. The head of more boulder ground is met - aim southwards then south-east to reach under the boulders and a path should be visible. As you descend, the path becomes clearer, eventually leading onto gentler grassy slopes and steadily toward Bealach na Clioche Duibhe .

The bealach is a wide peaceful spot dotted with small lochans, and the path weaves effortlessly between them. Continuing eastwards, the path becomes very distinct as it travels into stoney ground of white quartzite, ascending gradually onto the northwestern shoulder of Càrn nan Gobhar.

Creag Dubh from the summit of Càrn nan Gobhar

Creag Dubh from the summit of Càrn nan Gobhar

On the hydro track heading back to Loch Mullardoch

From Càrn nan Gobhar's cairns, heading south leads to the minor summit of Mullach na Maoile, with a descent down its eastern shoulder toward Loch Mullardoch. However, this route involves navigating very steep ground above the lower reaches of Coire an t-Sith, cloaked in deep, tangled heather - a gruelling challenge, especially after a long day on the hills.

A far better option is to descend eastward from Càrn nan Gobhar's summit cairn. This route takes you down a gentle, grassy slope with stunning views, offering a much more pleasant alternative. Aim for the bealach before Creag Dubh, where a few patches of stony ground can be avoided by keeping slightly to the left.

At the bealach, there's an enticing opportunity to bag Creag Dubh , a 'Munro Top'. This optional detour adds just 30 minutes for a quick there-and-back climb.

From the bealach, descend southeast, bounding downhill over heathery terrain. Lower down, you'll pick up some faint ATV tracks that help guide the way to a bridge crossing the Allt a' Choire Dhuibh.

Nearing Mullardoch Dam

Nearing Mullardoch Dam

For those who prefer - or need - an alternative to taking the boat, there's a long but challenging option: walking along the northern shore of Loch Mullardoch.

While the loch's water levels are typically low enough to allow shoreline walking, the terrain can be quite bouldery and damp in places. A higher path exists but has, over the years, been trampled into a muddy quagmire by grazing cattle. Be aware that if river levels are high, you'll need to detour about 1 km to cross the Allt Taige via a bridge . This all adds up to a rather laborious 9km trek to reach the wooden chalet of "Seldom Inn" . From here, a decent track leads to a footbridge and onward to the hillsides east of An Socach.

Another possibile alternative to taking the boat along the loch is to begin the route from Glen Strathfarrar. I've tackled the route from this direction once and it was fine, the only issue is the consideration needed for access - permission needs sought to take a vehicle along the glen and no parking is permitted beyond Monar Dam (see the Strathfarrar Munros for more access details).