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South Glen Shiel Ridge
Guided hillwalking days in the Western Highlands
The South Glen Shiel ridge is one of the finest moutain ranges in Scotland.
A varied range of peaks stretch for 13km in one continuous, well-defined chain, with 7 Munros scattered along the length. The drops between the peaks are not great and only once does the ridge fall below 800m. We're here for two days, splitting the ridge into bite-size chunks, ideal for hiking at a relaxed pace !
At a glance
- Two days of hiking along a ridge full of high mountain summits in the Western Highlands.
- Walk along fine crests and rugged terrain to reach superb vantage points from where vast views can be savoured.
- Bag 7 Munros over 2 days including Maol Chinn-dearg, Aonach Air Chrith and Creag a'Mhaim.
- Join a small group led by an experienced leader with a good knowledge of the wildlife, flora and geology.
Dates and booking
| 2020 dates | Cost | Availability |
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| 9-10 Sep'20 | £129 | Places available | Book online » |
| 2021 dates | Cost | Availability |
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| 13-14 Feb'21 | £129 | Places available | Book online » |
General info
Moderate hillwalking days.
This event is 2 days of guided hiking to high summits in the Kintail and Glen Shiel area with one of our experienced and qualified leaders.
Your guide will know the remote area well and be able to give you insight into the flora, fauna and geology.
Our maximum guide to client ratio on this event is 1:6.
Outline of event »
Day 1 : South Glen Shiel Ridge - western half
Hiking on grassy ridges bagging three lofty Munro summits and more
| Summits : | Sgurr an Doire Leathain, Sgurr an Lochain, Creag nan Damh |
| Grading : | moderate day |
| Stats : | Ascent : 1350m, distance : 11km, time : 6-8 hours |
The South Glen Shiel ridge is one of the finest mountain ranges in Scotland with a varied range of peaks stretching for 13km in one continuous, well-defined chain.
Rather than hiking at a fast pace and continually assessing our time aiming for all 7 Munros in one day, we'll split the ridge into two days and walk at a more relaxed pace.
On this day we're tackling the western section from Creag nan Damh to Sgurr an Doire Leathain.
We start from the site of the Battle of Glen Shiel and hike through forestry and up grassy slopes onto Creag nan Damh.
The views westwards to the Forcan Ridge are stunning !
We'll aim eastwards, perhaps skirting the minor summit of Sgurr Beag, before the gradual climb up Sgurr and Lochain, apptly named with its summit peering over a splendid coire with a dark lochan below.
Along to Sgurr an Doire Leathain, we have options for our descent, ending on a fine stalkers track to return us to Glen Shiel.
Map of intended route
Day 2 : South Glen Shiel Ridge - eastern half
Hiking on grassy ridges bagging four Munro summits, including the highest in the range - Aonach air Chrith
| Summits : | Creag a' Mhaim, Druim Shionnach, Aonach air Chrith, Maol Chinn-dearg |
| Grading : | moderate day |
| Stats : | Ascent : 1200m, distance : 14km, time : 6-8 hours |
On this day we're tackling the eastern section of the South Glen Shiel Ridge from Maol Chinn-dearg to Creag a'Mhaim.
We start from the highest point in Glen Shiel, which is also where a hike on the western section of the South Glen Shiel Ridge finishes.
On a fine stalker's path, we'll cross the River Cluanie and hike up Druim Coire nan Eirecheanach to reach Maol Chinn-dearg on the South Glen Shiel Ridge.
Eastwards next, we follow the ridge along to its highest summit Aonach air Chrith, with stunning views all around and a particularly fine southern aspect over Gleouraich and Spidean Mialaich towards Ben Nevis.
Grassy ground gains Druim Shionnach, from where some easy scrambling (ungraded) leads to our final push uphill to bag the final Munro in the chain, Creag a'Mhaim.
We have some options for descent, both leading back to the Cluanie Inn for some well deserved refreshment.
Map of intended route
Experience & fitness needed »
Moderate hillwalking days.
To join this guided event, we ask that you :
- have a good level of fitness and stamina
- have done some hillwalking
- are comfortable hiking for 7 hours plus
- had exposure to British mountain weather or similar
The routes have good stalkers paths for approach and descent with generally grassy slopes leading to varied terrain higher up. There are some short sections of easy rock-scrambling, none of which are difficult enough to be graded.
We've classed both days as 'moderate'.
Have a look at
how we grade our events or
contact us for more information.
Gear you'll need »
You'll need your general hiking and hill-walking gear appropriate to the conditions and time of year.
More information on this gear along with a checklist to download and Pinterest board for specific suggestions can be found on our
Mountain Gear page.
Your guide »
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John King
MLS, MLW qualified and more, John is passionate about passing on his knowledge and sharing his enthusiasm for the hills !
Leading the event on 9-10 September'20 and 13-14 February'21.
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More information on your guide can be found on our
About Us page.
Location & accommodation »
We'll be based in the Kintail area which has a reliable bus service running through from Glasgow, Fort Willam and Inverness to Skye (see the
Citylink bus timetables for more info).
We may be able to help with pick up from nearby accommodation if needed.
Below is a list of accommodation that previous guests on our trips have recommended.
Other accommodation can be found at
Visit Scotland.
Around a month prior to an event taking place, we hope to set up a 'Whatsapp' chat group for the event. This will hopefully help participants find out where others are staying and organise car-share.
Please note that our expertise lies in offering you great guided days in Scotland's mountains and not providing transport or arranging your accommodation. Please see our
FAQs for more information.
Previous trips »
Below on our Blog or on Flickr are some previous trips similar to this one.
Booking terms »
Our booking terms and conditions are set out
on this page.
These terms and conditions help us deliver great experiences, at the same time keeping costs down to give you value for money.
When booking onto this event or any other event, you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree with the terms and conditions.
Some often asked questions are outlined and answered in our
FAQs.
