An Teallach is, for many hillwalkers, the most beautiful mountain in Scotland — a great curving ridge of pink Torridonian sandstone rising above Dundonnell and Little Loch Broom in Wester Ross. It carries two Munros: Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill (1,062m, the highest) and Sgùrr Fiona (1,060m), strung along a ridge that is one of the great mountaineering days in Britain.
The start at Dundonnell
The mountain is climbed from the Dundonnell road (the A832) at the head of Little Loch Broom. A path climbs onto the sandstone terraces and up towards the corrie between the two Munros. The Munros app lists the route and its distance; whichever way you tackle the ridge, it is a long, committing day in a remote setting, so start early.
The traverse — and the walkers' choice
The reason An Teallach is famous is the Corrag Bhuidhe pinnacles — a line of exposed sandstone towers south of Sgùrr Fiona that give sustained, serious Grade 3 scrambling with big drops on both sides. The full traverse of the pinnacles is a rite of passage for experienced scramblers and should only be attempted by those confident on exposed rock in the dry.
Crucially, you can bag both Munros without the hardest pinnacles: a path bypasses the worst of the towers on their landward side, letting walkers reach both summits by less committing (though still airy) ground. Know which day you are having before you set off, and turn back rather than commit to the pinnacles if the rock is wet or you are unsure.
A remote, serious day
An Teallach is graded a serious mountaineering challenge. It is exposed, the scrambling is real, and it is a long way from help. In winter it is a full alpine-style expedition. Treat it with the same respect you would give Ben Nevis, carry the navigation skills to cope with cloud on a complex ridge, and see our best Munro ridge walks for where it sits among Scotland's classics.
When to go and what to pack
Save An Teallach for a settled, dry summer or autumn day — the pinnacles and the exposure are no place to be in wind or wet. Carry warm layers, waterproofs, food, a headtorch, and a map and compass, and check the mountain forecast carefully before committing to the ridge.
Related guides
- Best Munro ridge walks — An Teallach among the greats
- Scrambling grades explained — what Grade 3 really means
- Dundonnell Munros — the wider area
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