Beinn Sgritheall
Encyclopedia
Beinn Sgritheall is the highest mountain
in the Glenelg area of the Highlands
of Scotland
. The main approach is via Arnisdale
on the shores of Loch Hourn
or via Gleann Beag to the north, with its well-known broch
s. The view from the summit was described by Sir Hugh Munro, a founder member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club
, as "perhaps the most beautiful I have seen in Scotland".
. At 3196 feet (974 m) Beinn Sgritheall is a Munro
, being a Scottish mountain over 3000 feet (914 m). It is also classified as a Marilyn
given its prominence of 500 metres (1,640 ft). It is the highest mountain on the Glenelg peninsula, an area of largely uninhabited land bounded by Loch Alsh
and Loch Duich
to the north and by Loch Hourn
to the west and south.
The view from the summit encompasses: the isles of Jura
, Rùm
and Mull
; the mountains of Knoydart, Skye
and Moidart
; Ben Nevis
and Slioch
; and the ridges of Glen Affric
and Glen Shiel
. It is possible to see more than 100 named peaks from the summit and Hamish Brown
would not swap the view from it "for any mountain view in the world".
The rock of Beinn Sgritheall is of the schistose type.
on the shores of Loch Hourn
. An alternative is to approach via Gleann Beag to the north, with its well-known broch
s. Both starting points can only be accessed either overland via a single lane road from Glen Shiel
, or across the waters of Loch Hourn using a ferry or boat.
It is possible to complete a number of traverses. One example approaches from the south-west side of the mountain, gaining the west ridge via the forest of Coille Mhialairigh. The summit is reached and the traverse then continues along the south-east ridge which leads to the Bealach Arnasdail pass from where it is possible to descend to the Loch approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) from the start point.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Glenelg area of the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
of Scotland
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...
. The main approach is via Arnisdale
Arnisdale
Arnisdale is a hamlet in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of Loch Hourn, around 10 miles down a single track road from Glenelg. It has a permanent population of around 30 and several holiday cottages...
on the shores of Loch Hourn
Loch Hourn
Loch Hourn is a sea loch to the north of Knoydart, on the west coast of Scotland.-Geography:Loch Hourn runs inland from the Sound of Sleat, opposite the island of Skye, for 22 km to the head of the loch at Kinloch Hourn...
or via Gleann Beag to the north, with its well-known broch
Broch
A broch is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure of a type found only in Scotland. Brochs include some of the most sophisticated examples of drystone architecture ever created, and belong to the classification "complex Atlantic Roundhouse" devised by Scottish archaeologists in the 1980s....
s. The view from the summit was described by Sir Hugh Munro, a founder member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club
Scottish Mountaineering Club
The Scottish Mountaineering Club is Scotland's second oldest mountaineering club. Founded in 1889, in Glasgow, the private club, with about 400 members, publishes guidebooks and runs a list of Munroists.-History:At the time of the club's founding there were a number of experienced Alpinists...
, as "perhaps the most beautiful I have seen in Scotland".
Classification
Mountains in the British Isles are classified according to heightHill lists in the British Isles
The mountains and hills of Great Britain, and to a lesser extent Ireland, are the subject of a considerable number of lists that categorise them by height, topographic prominence, or other criteria. They are commonly used as a basis for peak bagging, whereby hillwalkers attempt to reach all the...
. At 3196 feet (974 m) Beinn Sgritheall is a Munro
Munro
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...
, being a Scottish mountain over 3000 feet (914 m). It is also classified as a Marilyn
Marilyn (hill)
A Marilyn is a mountain or hill in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or Isle of Man with a relative height of at least 150 metres , regardless of absolute height or other merit...
given its prominence of 500 metres (1,640 ft). It is the highest mountain on the Glenelg peninsula, an area of largely uninhabited land bounded by Loch Alsh
Loch Alsh
Loch Alsh or Lochalsh is a sea inlet between the isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides and the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is also used to described the surrounding country and the feudal holdings around the loch...
and Loch Duich
Loch Duich
Loch Duich is a sea loch situated on the western coast of Scotland, in the Highlands.-History:In 1719, British forces burned many homesteads along the loch’s shores in the month preceding the Battle of Glen Shiel....
to the north and by Loch Hourn
Loch Hourn
Loch Hourn is a sea loch to the north of Knoydart, on the west coast of Scotland.-Geography:Loch Hourn runs inland from the Sound of Sleat, opposite the island of Skye, for 22 km to the head of the loch at Kinloch Hourn...
to the west and south.
Geography and geology
Beinn Sgritheall consists of a narrow, curved crest running parallel to the north shore of Loch Hourn from which several ridges extend. The south face of the mountain rises nearly 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft), from the level of Loch Hourn to its summit, in 1.6 kilometre (0.994196378639691 mi). It has three tops: the summit (974 metres (3,196 ft)), a Middle Top (also 974 metres) and an East Top (906 metres (2,972 ft)). The upper parts of its west face consist of crags and scree. The north and eastern part of the mountain contain a number of remote corries. Two ridges run north-east from the summit with one curving north-west to enclose a high corrie. A third ridge runs west to Creag an Taghain, a crag above the forest of Coille Mhialairigh.The view from the summit encompasses: the isles of Jura
Jura, Scotland
Jura is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, situated adjacent and to the north-east of Islay. Part of the island is designated as a National Scenic Area. Until the twentieth century Jura was dominated - and most of it was eventually owned - by the Campbell clan of Inveraray Castle on Loch...
, Rùm
Rùm
Rùm , a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland...
and Mull
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
; the mountains of Knoydart, Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
and Moidart
Moidart
Moidart is a district in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland.Moidart lies to the west of Fort William and is very remote. Loch Shiel cuts off the south-east boundary of the district. Moidart includes the townships of Dorlin, Mingarry, Kinlochmoidart and Glenuig. At Dorlin is located the ancient fortress...
; Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles. It is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, close to the town of Fort William....
and Slioch
Slioch
Slioch is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands situated in Wester Ross, eight kilometres north of the village of Kinlochewe. Slioch reaches a height of 981 metres and towers above the south east end of Loch Maree to give one of the best known and most photographed sights in the Highlands...
; and the ridges of Glen Affric
Glen Affric
right|300px|thumb|Glen AffricGlen Affric is a glen south-west of the village of Cannich in the Highland region of Scotland, some to the west of Loch Ness. The River Affric runs along its length, passing through Loch Affric and Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin .It used to be part of the lands of the Clan...
and Glen Shiel
Glen Shiel
Glen Shiel is a glen in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland.The glen runs approximately 9 miles from north-west to south-east, from sea level at the village of Shiel Bridge and Loch Duich to the Cluanie Inn at the western end of Loch Cluanie and the start of Glenmoriston.W. H...
. It is possible to see more than 100 named peaks from the summit and Hamish Brown
Hamish Brown
Hamish Brown M.B.E. is a professional writer, lecturer and photographer specialising in mountain and outdoor topics. He is best known for his walking exploits in the Scottish Highlands, having completed multiple rounds of the Munros and being the first person to walk all the Munros in a single trip...
would not swap the view from it "for any mountain view in the world".
The rock of Beinn Sgritheall is of the schistose type.
Ascent
Beinn Sgritheall is commonly climbed from the village of ArnisdaleArnisdale
Arnisdale is a hamlet in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of Loch Hourn, around 10 miles down a single track road from Glenelg. It has a permanent population of around 30 and several holiday cottages...
on the shores of Loch Hourn
Loch Hourn
Loch Hourn is a sea loch to the north of Knoydart, on the west coast of Scotland.-Geography:Loch Hourn runs inland from the Sound of Sleat, opposite the island of Skye, for 22 km to the head of the loch at Kinloch Hourn...
. An alternative is to approach via Gleann Beag to the north, with its well-known broch
Broch
A broch is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure of a type found only in Scotland. Brochs include some of the most sophisticated examples of drystone architecture ever created, and belong to the classification "complex Atlantic Roundhouse" devised by Scottish archaeologists in the 1980s....
s. Both starting points can only be accessed either overland via a single lane road from Glen Shiel
Glen Shiel
Glen Shiel is a glen in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland.The glen runs approximately 9 miles from north-west to south-east, from sea level at the village of Shiel Bridge and Loch Duich to the Cluanie Inn at the western end of Loch Cluanie and the start of Glenmoriston.W. H...
, or across the waters of Loch Hourn using a ferry or boat.
It is possible to complete a number of traverses. One example approaches from the south-west side of the mountain, gaining the west ridge via the forest of Coille Mhialairigh. The summit is reached and the traverse then continues along the south-east ridge which leads to the Bealach Arnasdail pass from where it is possible to descend to the Loch approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) from the start point.