ACTIVE OUTDOORS: Head in the clouds on dramatic Torridon scramble

By John Davidson

Published: 18:30, 27 May 2024

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On the narrow ridge along the Horns of Alligin.

They say good things come to those who wait, and we almost managed to prove the point perfectly.

If we’d set off an hour or two later, we would undoubtedly have enjoyed the pinnacle of this majestic route in glorious sunshine.

As it was, the cloud which shrouded the tops for most of the day only added to the drama of the scenery, as we climbed two Munros and a scrambled over a series of pinnacles on this Torridonian classic.

Beinn Alligin has been on the list of hills Peter and I have had planned for more years than either of us can remember. We’ve been waiting for a decent forecast on the rare occasions we can both get a full day free of other commitments at the moment, and this opportunity looked too promising to pass up.

We were joined by Simon and Dan as we set off from the car park beside the Abhainn Coire Mhic Nobuil. The sun was out as we followed the stalkers’ path that leads to the hill from just west of the road bridge over the river.

Looking back to Tom na Gruagaich, the first Munro on Beinn Alligin.

It was warm work in the early morning sun, but we could see the ridges above were covered in cloud, so we hoped it would clear by the time we reached those heights.

The path climbs to a fence before steepening significantly up through some crags, heading towards Coire nan Laogh. We considered starting the scrambling early by following the ridge up Na Fasreidhnean that curves round the western edge of the corrie, but decided to stick to the main path up to the first Munro and save the hands-on stuff for later in the day.

Beinn Alligin is made up of two Munro summits, Tom na Gruagaich (922m) and Sgùrr Mòr (986m), followed by Na Rathanan (866m) – better known as the Horns of Alligin – this latter section being made up of a series of three pinnacles which require scrambling and a head for heights.

That was our real target for the day, and what kept us plodding upwards as we poked our heads into the cloud. The route up through the corrie is steep but a well-maintained path leads up to a cairn where the ground levels off somewhat. From here, the summit of Tom na Gruagaich is a much gentler wander up to the north-east.

Seen from above, John makes his way up part of the scramble over the Horns.

A stone trig point is perched at the top on the edge of the precipice above the Toll a’ Mhadaidh Mor. We didn’t hang around long with nothing to see from what would be a superlative vantage point on a clear day.

The route ahead follows the edge of this corrie down a narrowing ridge to a broader bealach before climbing more easily up grassy slopes around or over a subsidiary top then onwards towards the final Munro of the day.

We enjoyed brief moments where the cloud lifted slightly to allow us to see the cliffs plunging far below as we followed the route between the two main summits, but the prospects for a clear scramble ahead were not looking good.

Just before you reach Sgùrr Mòr, the path skirts a gaping chasm in the rock. The much-photographed Eag Dhubh na h-Eigheachd is dramatic but offers no difficulties as the path simply bypasses it. However, we couldn’t resist taking our own cloudy version of the classic shot, so Simon headed up to the edge to pose!

The dramatic Eag Dhubh on Beinn Eighe, close to the summit of Sgurr Mor.

Then it was up to the second Munro of the day where we sat down to enjoy a late lunch before tackling the Horns of Alligin. We were surprised to see so many people returning back to the corrie after completing the two Munros rather than following what to us seemed like the highlight of the route.

After years of talking about this mountain, the scramble had been built up in my mind, but in reality it’s not that difficult – you do have to get hands on, but you can avoid much of the edgy stuff on a bypass path and can pick and choose your route to make it as much of a challenge as you like.

Ben, Peter, Simon and John at the summit of Sgurr Mor on Beinn Alligin.

We tried to use the crest where possible but without taking unnecessary risks. The sandstone blocks are very grippy and provide some good handholds and ledges, so the scrambling is graded at the easier end of the scale.

If in doubt about whether it’s for you, I’d advise getting some experience with a qualified instructor before taking on a route like this.

Peter gets stuck into the scrambling on the Horns.

Before we knew it, we were over the first horn and making our way up to the high point of Na Rathanan, with some fun scrambling along the way. The horns are linked with short stretches of rocky paths that lead narrowly along the spectacular ridge, and before we knew it this part of the day was done – and still in the cloud.

As we made our way down the well-defined route off the horns, we looked back and already the cloud was breaking up. We had to concentrate as we picked our way through the steep crags on a tricky descent, but by the time we reached the bridge over the Allt a’ Bhealaich, it was glorious sunshine again and the horns were clearly visible.

We refilled our water bottles and admired the plethora of wildflowers before continuing down the good path, crossing the Abhainn Coire Mhic Nobuil and returning to the car park via the excellent path, admiring the magnificent massif of Beinn Alligin in all its glory as we went.

This day was well worth the wait, despite the lack of views at the top, and as one person said to me afterwards, it gives us a good excuse to do it all again sometime. Let’s not leave it so long next time, though!