How to Climb Beinn Alligin

Known as the "Jewel of Torridon", Beinn Alligin is the most accessible and forgiving of the three great Torridon mountains — which, in Torridon, still means a spectacular and serious day. Its classic traverse links two Munros with a memorable pinnacled scramble and views across some of the finest mountain country in Britain. For many, it's the perfect introduction to the big Torridon hills. Here's how to climb it.

The mountain and its Munros

Beinn Alligin carries two Munros: Sgùrr Mhòr (986m), the highest, and Tom na Gruagaich (922m). Between and beyond them lie the famous Horns of Alligin (Na Rathanan) — a series of rocky pinnacles that provide the day's scrambling. The mountain also features a dramatic cleft, the Eag Dubh, slicing down from near the summit of Sgùrr Mhòr.

The classic traverse

The usual round starts from the car park in Coire Mhic Nòbuil, climbing steeply to Tom na Gruagaich first, then along to Sgùrr Mhòr, and finally over the Horns before descending back to the start — a satisfying full circuit of around 10km and 1,200m of ascent. Doing it in this direction tackles the Horns on the way down and gives a logical, complete horseshoe.

The Horns of Alligin

The Horns provide the day's excitement: a Grade 1 scramble over rocky pinnacles with some exposure. They're straightforward for anyone comfortable using their hands on rock, and they're a genuine highlight rather than a chore — but they are real scrambling, and nervous scramblers should know they're coming. There are ways to bypass the hardest bits on some of the Horns, but you can't avoid them entirely on the full traverse. If you want to skip the scrambling altogether, you can climb the two Munros and reverse your steps rather than continuing over the Horns.

Why it's the friendliest Torridon giant

Compared with the sustained, exposed traverses of Liathach and Beinn Eighe, Beinn Alligin is shorter, less committing and less technical — which makes it the natural first choice among the Torridon three. That said, it's still a big mountain day in remote country with real scrambling and exposure, and deserves respect and settled weather. In winter it's a serious mountaineering route. Once you've enjoyed Alligin, the other two await — see our guides to Liathach and Beinn Eighe.

Related guides

• How to climb Liathach
• How to climb Beinn Eighe
• Munro bagging in Torridon and Fisherfield
• Munros tracking app — offline maps and route for the full traverse