Trail (UK)

Beinn Eighe

NG977578 Follow

1

the path that leads out of the rear of the car park and ascends into Coire an Laoigh via the Allt Coire an Laoigh burn. As the path enters the coire it flattens and the burn forks. Take the left-hand burn and ascend the path to the left of some large slabs. Slog your way up the coire on loose scree, aiming to exit onto the ridge at a col. Once on the col, turn right (north) and ascend the ridgeline to the trig point. Scramble up another few metres to reach the true summit of Spidean Coire nan Clach, your first Munro of the day.

NG966597 From

2

here, descend sharp right (east) on an obvious ridgeline with cliffs falling away to your left. You will now start to see the shining quartz ridges and towers of the approach to Sgurr Ban. Continue across the ridgeline to reach Sgurr Ban’s summit which gives fine views across to the imposing slopes of Sgurr nan Fhir Duibhe. The descent of Sgurr Ban and ascent of Sgurr nan Fhir Duibhe is airy but not technical. Get as close or far from the precipitou­s drops as you like but be

wary of loose ground and rock if close to the edge.

NG981600 The

3

finest summit so far, with views behind and ahead of you and into the remote and hidden Beinn Eighe hinterland. This next section over the Bodaich Dubh, otherwise known as the imposing Black Carls, is the most

serious and technical of the day. Walk northeast to the first and hardest section which is a dead-end drop into a crenulated cleft; avoid this by descending easier ground on the right. The downclimbi­ng risk is more loose rock than technical but care must be taken on the slippery quartz, especially when wet. Work your way back left into the cleft then continue on technical but easier ground, sticking to the ridge crest where possible.Soon the scrambling comes to an end with ridge walking onto the final fine summit of Creag Dhubh.

NG985607 Enjoy the last moments of the high ridge, then descend east on the ridge shoulder until you arrive at a series of rocky steps. These can be avoided by dropping down a steep scree slope on the left (north) about 100m before the rocky steps. Once at the bottom of the scree slope pick up a faint path at the source of the Allt a Chuirn burn and then handrail this at high level on flat rocky moorland. The burn drops steeply away on the left as the path starts to traverse a high-level hummocky ridge. It comes to a burn confluence with different options to cross it.

NH001609 Descend 5

into the burn. This can be tricky, especially if the burns are in spate. There are a series of Scots pines that guide the way to the end of the descending spur. At this point you can go left into the burn down a uniform slope and work your way round (right) to the crossing or go straight ahead down the end of the hummock and down steeper ground to reach the crossing. Cross with care and ascend a steep step to get back onto a normal path. From this point it is a glorious walk through Scot pines and lush terrain back to the road at Cromasaig. Hopefully, you have two cars, or can hitchhike back to the start. Otherwise you’ll have to add a nearly 7km walk back to the car park to the end of this route!