An Riabhachan
Encyclopedia
An Riabhachan is a Scottish
mountain in the Skye and Lochalsh
district of the Highland
council area. It is situated 35 kilometres east of Kyle of Lochalsh
standing in an isolated position at the western end of Loch Mullardoch, ten kilometres from any public road.
north of the Great Glen
and the 29th highest altogether. The mountains name originates from the Gaelic
language and translates as “The Brindle
d One” which is believed to refer to the flecked effect given by the stone studded turf on the hill.
follows a steep edge above the hollow which holds these two lochs. The mountain has a 2.5 kilometre long summit ridge which does not drop below 1000 metres throughout its length and contains four high points including the summit. At the north east end of the summit ridge is the NE Top with a height of 1125 metres it is just four metres lower than the main summit, in the 1921 edition of the Munro Tables it was named as the summit of the mountain probably due to a surveying mistake which was corrected in the next edition of the tables. In 1997 it was deleted from the list of Munro Tops.
With the demise of the NE Top, An Riabhachan has been left with just two subsidiary tops which are listed in Munros Tables. The West Top with a height of 1040 metres stands at the extreme end of the summit ridge just before the western ridge descends to the Bealach
Bholla and then continuing to the adjoining Munro of An Socach. The South West Top lies 700 metres SE of the West Top and has a height of 1086 metres. The summit ridge falls away on both sides with moderate grassy slopes to Loch Mullardoch to the south and the upper regions of Glen Strathfarrar to the north.
. The alternative route starts in Glen Strathfarrar at the hydroelectric
power station in Gleann Innis (grid reference ), reached by a 17-mile drive from Struy along a private road; the locked gate at the entrance to this road is opened at specified times to give access to walkers.http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/access/strathfarrar.html From the power station a stalkers' path leads to the Bealach
Toll an Lochain between An Riabhachan and Sgurr na Lapaich, from where there is a further climb west of over 300 metres to reach the summit.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
mountain in the Skye and Lochalsh
Skye and Lochalsh
Skye and Lochalsh is one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region of Scotland. The main offices of the Skye and Lochalsh district council were in Portree, on the Isle of Skye.-History:...
district of the Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
council area. It is situated 35 kilometres east of Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland, 63 miles west of Inverness. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye...
standing in an isolated position at the western end of Loch Mullardoch, ten kilometres from any public road.
Overview
An Riabhachan reaches a height of 1129 metres (3704 feet) and is the fifth highest MunroMunro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
north of the Great Glen
Great Glen
The Great Glen , also known as Glen Albyn or Glen More is a series of glens in Scotland running 100 kilometres from Inverness on the Moray Firth, to Fort William at the head of Loch Linnhe.The Great Glen follows a large geological fault known as the Great Glen Fault...
and the 29th highest altogether. The mountains name originates from the Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
language and translates as “The Brindle
Brindle
Brindle is a coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cats, cattle, guinea pigs, crested geckos and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat...
d One” which is believed to refer to the flecked effect given by the stone studded turf on the hill.
Geography
An Riabhachan is mainly grassy mountain, the only rocky area being at the north end of the summit ridge which has the fine craggy coire of Coire Gnada which contains the two small lochs of Loch Mòr and Loch Beag. The eastern ridge which links to the adjacent Munro of Sgurr na LapaichSgurr na Lapaich
Sgurr na Lapaich is a mountain in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, situated north of Loch Mullardoch in the high ground that separates Glen Cannich and Glen Strathfarrar. The mountain reaches a height of 1,150 metres , and is the fourth highest mountain north of the Great Glen...
follows a steep edge above the hollow which holds these two lochs. The mountain has a 2.5 kilometre long summit ridge which does not drop below 1000 metres throughout its length and contains four high points including the summit. At the north east end of the summit ridge is the NE Top with a height of 1125 metres it is just four metres lower than the main summit, in the 1921 edition of the Munro Tables it was named as the summit of the mountain probably due to a surveying mistake which was corrected in the next edition of the tables. In 1997 it was deleted from the list of Munro Tops.
With the demise of the NE Top, An Riabhachan has been left with just two subsidiary tops which are listed in Munros Tables. The West Top with a height of 1040 metres stands at the extreme end of the summit ridge just before the western ridge descends to the Bealach
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
Bholla and then continuing to the adjoining Munro of An Socach. The South West Top lies 700 metres SE of the West Top and has a height of 1086 metres. The summit ridge falls away on both sides with moderate grassy slopes to Loch Mullardoch to the south and the upper regions of Glen Strathfarrar to the north.
Ascents
Guide books recommend several different routes of ascent for An Riabhachan. The mountain is usually climbed with some or even all of the three other Munros on the northern side of Loch Mullardoch and very rarely as a sole objective. One long walk starts at the Mullardoch dam in Glen Cannich (grid reference ) and goes nine kilometres along the lochs northern shore before climbing An Riabhachan and returning to the starting point passing over Sgurr na Lapaich and Càrn nan GobharCàrn nan Gobhar (Mullardoch)
Càrn nan Gobhar is a Scottish mountain situated on the northern side of Loch Mullardoch in the upper part of Glen Cannich. It stands some 50 kilometres west-southwest of the city of Inverness in a remote group of four Munros informally known as “The Mullardochs” which form the high ground between...
. The alternative route starts in Glen Strathfarrar at the hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power station in Gleann Innis (grid reference ), reached by a 17-mile drive from Struy along a private road; the locked gate at the entrance to this road is opened at specified times to give access to walkers.http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/access/strathfarrar.html From the power station a stalkers' path leads to the Bealach
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
Toll an Lochain between An Riabhachan and Sgurr na Lapaich, from where there is a further climb west of over 300 metres to reach the summit.