Corryhully Horseshoe

Glenfinnan monument and Loch Shiel

From Fort William, head west along the A830, passing through Caol and Corpach, and following the shore of Loch Eil to Kinlocheil at the head of the loch. Continue onwards to Glenfinnan, which is about 22km west of Fort William.

Previously, parking was available just west of the bridge over the River Finnan, where the hike begins. However, due to the area's increasing popularity, parking is no longer allowed there. Instead, you'll need to park at the NTS Glenfinnan Visitor Centre, where parking costs £5 (free for NTS members).

Ironically, the visitor centre was originally built for the monument to Bonnie Prince Charlie, but it's the Glenfinnan Viaduct that draws crowds of tourists, thanks to its prominent role, along with the steam train, in the Harry Potter films.

Alternatively, you can take the train from Fort William to Mallaig and alight at Glenfinnan Halt, which is about a 1km walk from the start of the route.

The first (and last) 4km of the route are on a tarred road, so cycling is a good option to start and end your day.

Corryhully Bothy and Sgurr Thuilm

From the NTS Visitor Centre car park, follow the designated path across the River Finnan towards the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct .

Just before reaching the viaduct, you'll join a tarred road. Follow this road under the viaduct, past a few houses, and continue up the glen for approximately 4km.

The road reaches a junction below Glenfinnan Lodge - turn right (signposted), and now on a rough track, cross a bridge and head to Corryhully Bothy - a great spot to pause and enjoy the view back down the glen. If you've cycled in, this is an ideal spot to leave bikes.

Waterfall above Glenfinnan Lodge

Waterfall above Glenfinnan Lodge

On the Leachd an Doire Chuilinn path

A short distance beyond the highest point on the track, a small cairn and a wooden signpost mark the start of the path leading up to Sgurr nan Coireachan.

Follow this path northwards for just under 1km, where it then turns west, climbing steeply in zig-zags. As the path ascends, it becomes fainter, turning north again onto the crest of Sgurr a' Choire Riabhaich's southeastern shoulder .

The path meanders up a gentle grassy incline with occasional short, steeper sections. As you approach the summit of Sgurr a' Choire Riabhaich, the ground becomes steeper and the route may seem unclear. Avoid heading directly up; instead, follow the path as it veers slightly west , then zig-zags up steep, loose ground to gain height.

Once on top of Sgurr a' Choire Riabhaich pick up the line of fence posts again and follow them north over the wide, undulating crest, passing a dramatic drop on your right. The path then turns northwest, passing a few small lochans as the final 100m ascent to Sgurr nan Coireachan's summit is tackled.

View from Sgurr nan Coireachan over Sgurr Thuilm

View from Sgurr nan Coireachan over Sgurr Thuilm

Sgurr Thuilm from Beinn Gharbh

From the summit of Sgurr nan Coireachan, follow the well-worn path and the line of old fence posts northeast as you begin to lose height.

Dropping to a height of around 850m, the path and fence posts lead to a sudden rocky drop. The easiest way around this is to retrace your steps slightly, turn south, descend a few meters on loose ground, contour around the rocky section, and rejoin the path below. This is the only significant obstacle between Sgurr nan Coireachan and Sgurr Thuilm.

From the base of the rocky drop, simply follow the worn path and old iron fence posts as they lead over Meall an Tarmachain , Beinn Garbh , and Bealach Leathann to the minor top before Sgurr Thuilm. Enjoy the stunning views along the way.

Approaching the final climb up Sgurr Thuilm

Approaching the final climb up Sgurr Thuilm

View from Sgurr Thuilm along Loch Arkaig

From the summit of Sgurr Thuilm, head south for a short distance until you reach the line of old posts. You could follow the crest of Sgurr Thuilm's southern shoulder from here, but this would require some additional ascent over rocky terrain and over a minor summit . Alternatively, head southwest on a faint path towards the source of the Allt Coire a' Bheithe - an ideal spot to top up water bottles.

Continue along the faint path over grassy, slightly wet ground to rejoin the crest of Sgurr Thuilm's southern shoulder at a height of around 800m.

Follow the more defined path down the crest, descending mostly grassy terrain on Druim Coire a' Bheithe to the track in Glen Finnan.

Descending Sgurr Thuilm on Druim Coire a' Bheithe

Descending Sgurr Thuilm on Druim Coire a' Bheithe

On the summit of Streap looking to Gulvain and beyond

From the summit of Sgurr Thuilm , begin your descent along the path on its southern shoulder.

After descending approximately 600m , leave the path and turn southwards. Head down steep, grassy, and tussocky terrain, making your way towards the burn that flows down from Bealach a' Chaorainn.

Once you've crossed the burn, you'll see another burn directly ahead, flowing from Streap's crest. To the right of this burn, a line of rocky crags slopes uphill from right to left. Above these crags lies a grassy ledge that leads towards the crest southwest of Streap's summit.

Head directly uphill (southeast), aiming for the base of the crags . Climb onto the grassy ledge above the crags and follow it (northeast) to reach Streap's crest, about 500m southwest of the summit.

Once on the crest, follow it towards Streap's summit . As you approach, the ridge narrows considerably, becoming rocky and slightly exposed. There is a short section involving some fairly easy scrambling, followed by an easy walk on grass to the top.

Returning along Streap's crest looking over Stob Coire nan Cearc to Loch Shiel

Returning along Streap's crest looking over Stob Coire nan Cearc to Loch Shiel

Sgurr Thuilm from Loch Arkaig

An excellent alternative to the Glenfinnan approach is to take the less-travelled route from the head of Loch Arkaig.

Start at the end of the public road near the head of Loch Arkaig (see Glen Dessarry Munros for how to get there) and follow the track westwards toward the house and outbuildings at Strathan. Cross the bridge over the River Dessarry and continue into the forestry area. Shortly after entering the forest, take the left fork at a junction and follow the track for about 1km. Look for a path on the left heading south , which will lead you out of the forest. The path soon reaches a bridge over the River Pean.

After crossing the bridge, follow some ATV tracks to ford the Allt Cuirnean to its west bank and continue southwards. Leaving the tracks behind, head southwest and begin ascending the grassy, pathless slopes of Meall na Fhir-eoin's northeastern shoulder. Avoiding a couple of crags along the way, the route is clear and straightforward to the summit of Meall an Fhir-eoin .

From this minor top, head south and descend slightly to a broad bealach. Gradually turn southwest and begin the ascent of Sgurr Thuilm - the final 200m of the climb to the summit is steeper but presents no major difficulties.

Continue towards Sgurr nan Coireachan , following the reverse of the route described above.

To return, retrace your steps to the bealach between Sgurr nan Coireachan and Meall an Tarmachan. From there, descend northeast across grassy, tussock-covered terrain to the glen near Glenpean bothy and the forest edge. You will need to cross the River Pean, which is usually manageable, though it can be challenging or hazardous if the river is in spate.

Once across, pick up the track at the forest edge near the bothy and follow it back to Strathan.