Loch Eil To Glen Shiel Walking

This area to the west of the Great Glen is one of the wildest and most mountainous in the Highlands. Its most distinctive feature is the succession of glens and lochs, (both sea-lochs and inland) aligned from east to west, between which the mountains form long ranges, nowhere better seen than on the south and north sides of Glen Shiel. Near the southern edge of this area, Gulvain is a lone mountain to the north of Loch Eil, and to its west Sgurr Thuilm and Sgurr nan Coireachan stand at the head of Glen Finnan. Far to their east, Meall na Teanga and Sron a'Choire Ghairbh rise prominently on the west side of Loch Lochy, but they are a long way from the other high mountains in this area. To the north of a line from Loch Arkaig to Loch Nevis there is a long and discontinuous line of peaks which as one goes from east to west become progressively wilder and more rugged. Gairich, a solitary hill above Loch Quoich, is at the east end of this range, which to its west is more continuous over Sgurr Mor, Sgurr nan Coireachan, Garbh Chioch Mhor and finally Sgurr na Ciche, one of the great landmarks of the western highlands rising above the head of Loch Nevis. To the north of Loch Nevis in the district of Knoydart are three magnificently rough and wild mountains, Meall Buidhe, Luinne Bheinn and (finest of them all) Ladhar Bheinn. On the north side of Loch Quoich are Spidean Mialach, Gleouraich and Sgurr a'Mhaoraich, and to their north is the long South Glen Shiel Ridge of seven Munros forming a continuous high ridge. To their west, and really an extension of this ridge, are Sgurr na Sgine and The Saddle, the latter one of the most popular mountains in Kintail by virtue of the fine scramble up its rocky Forcan Ridge. Finally, several kilometres west of The Saddle, Beinn Sgritheall rises steeply above Loch Hourn, its south face an intimidating slope of rock and screes.