South Glen Shiel Ridge & Forcan Ridge

Getting there

The Forcan Ridge and The Saddle

• From the lay-by, walk east along the road for 500m to a gate and the start of the path. Head up the path, which twists and turns as it climbs.
• As it turns north-west, leave the path and head directly up the steep, grassy slopes of Meallan Odhar. The ground levels out, and the path is re-joined to reach the base of the Forcan Ridge.
• To take the easy, quick route, follow the wall off left. After around 400m the wall turns south, leave it here and head west uphill.
• Another wall is met, follow this one to it's end, then continue up a steep loose path to the The Saddle's summit plateau and its trig point. There is debate whether this is the summit, or the point on the ridge 100m to the east ! Whichever point your choose, fantastic views are to be had to Knoydart, Skye, Kintail and beyond.

Sgurr na Sgine

• Return back to the top of the wall and look for a faint path heading slightly off right (south-east) towards Bealach Coire Mhalagain. Follow this path over wet grassy ground to meet up with a line of fence-posts going south-east down to a small lochan at the bealach.
• From there, head up on a faint path, veering off right, away from the fence-posts and attain the crest and the fence-posts again. Follow the fence-posts up to Sgurr na Sgine's flat top and the cairn at the south end. Excellent views, particularly over to Knoydart.

Sgurr a'Bhac Chaolais

• Unless you want a tricky rock-climb, a de-tour is needed to continue to the South Glen Shiel Ridge. From Sgurr na Sgine's cairn, turn south-west for around 300m, then turn south and drop down on grassy ground to another wall.
• Follow this wall east towards Bealach an Toiteil, then, slightly south of the crest, aim up Sgurr a'Bhac Chaolais. Keeping south will avoid some fairly tricky loose ground.
• Re-join the line of fence-posts further up and follow them to the summit cairn.
• Sgurr a' Bhac Chaolais used to be a Corbett, however, the summit is now considered to be Buidhe Bheinn, 2km to the south - the route up this is described in the Buidhe Bheinn from Loch Hourn page.

Creag nan Damh

• Leaving Sgurr a'Bhac Chaolais, simply follow the fence-posts and wall eastwards.
• You'll come to a junction in the wall - keep left and continue down to Bealach Duibh Leac. At the bealach, an obvious path comes up from Glen Shiel.
• Continue following the path and posts eastwards up the grassy undulating ground to the Creag nan Damh's summit cairn.

Sgurr an Lochain

• Take the very obvious path that zig-zags south-east down from Creag nan Damh down to Bealach Fraoch Choire.
• Start climbing up Sgurr Beag and a metal post is reached, this marks the start of a bypass path contouring around Sgurr Beag - weird how just because a peak is not a Munro, people don't go up it !
• Follow this path, there's a spring to top up water-bottles on the way, and reach Bealach a'Choire Reidhe. Sgurr an Lochain is less than 500m away, up an obvious path.

Sgurr an Doire Leathain

• Leave Sgurr an Lochain, heading south-east on the obvious path and drop to Bealach Sgurr an Lochain at just below 900m.
• The path and posts continue toward Sgurr an Doire Leathain, however, upon reaching the summit crest, you'll need to turn left (north-east) and de-tour 200m to reach Sgurr an Doire Leathain's summit cairn above Coire a'Chuill Droma Mor.

Maol Chinn-dearg

• Return that 200m, then head south-east, again on the path down to Bealach Caol na Droma Moire.
• Sgurr Coire na Feinne is not a Munro, so, like Sgurr Beag earlier, there is a bypass around it.
• The path continues to Bealach Caol na Droma Bige, where Maol Chinn-dearg is only a few minutes further on.

Aonach air Chrith<

• The views south over Sgurr a'Mhaoraich and Loch quoich to Knoydart now just start to open up.
• Still on the obvious path, aim south-east from Maol Chinn-dearg. Over the bumps on the way, Aonach air Chrith seems to require more effort to get up than any other peak since Sgurr na Sgine.

Druim Shionnach

• Down south-east, reach a flat grassy area, then turn east and briefly climb to a lower flat area. Navigation skills may be required in mist to continue to Druim Shionnach as the path becomes faint in bits.
• Unless someone has demolished it, the first cairn you meet on the way is not the top, but it indicates you're nearly there ! The summit of Druim Shionnach is reached, the cairn above Coire nan Leac where the deer rutt loudly below in August and September.

Creag a'Mhaim

• A narrow ridge continues east from Druim Shionnach, and a bit of care is needed as the path crosses from the south side of the ridge onto the north side and back again.
• The ridge widens out, the bealach is reached, from where it is just a short climb up the obvious path to the cairn on Creag a'Mhaim.
• Superb views in all directions from this last peak, but the most interesting is looking down to Loch Loyne, where, if the loch level is low, the old road and the often submerged bridge are exposed.

Return to Glen Shiel

• Re-trace your steps for a few metres, then head north on a faint path that drops sharply into Coirean an Eich Bhric.
• The path continues down, getting wetter and heathier and reaches a deer-fence.
• Cross the fence, hopefully at the easiest point, then jog down to the old bridge and reach Cluanie Inn via the old road.