How to Climb Beinn Eighe

Beinn Eighe completes the great Torridon trilogy alongside Liathach and Beinn Alligin, and it's the largest of the three — a sprawling, multi-topped mountain of pale quartzite that gleams almost white in certain light. With two Munros along its long spine and one of the most spectacular corries in Britain hidden on its northern side, it's a magnificent and serious day. Here's how to approach it.

The mountain and its Munros

Beinn Eighe is a huge, complex ridge carrying two Munros: Ruadh-stac Mòr (1,010m) and Spidean Coire nan Clach (993m), along with numerous subsidiary tops strung along its length. The mountain is famous for its dazzling quartzite screes and for Coire Mhic Fhearchair on its north side — a magnificent hidden corrie beneath the celebrated Triple Buttress, widely regarded as one of the finest mountain sanctuaries in the country.

Route options

There are two main ways to experience Beinn Eighe. The first is to bag the two Munros from the south, typically starting near Glen Torridon, which gives a big but non-technical hill day on the ridge. The second — for many the finest option — is to make the circuit into Coire Mhic Fhearchair to witness the Triple Buttress, combined with the ridge. The full traverse of the whole mountain is a long, committing expedition with some scrambling on the connecting ridges and loose quartzite underfoot.

What makes it serious

Beinn Eighe is a proper mountain day. The quartzite is loose and hard on the feet, the ridges are narrow in places with some scrambling and exposure, and the scale means long days with committing ground. Navigation across the complex topography is demanding in cloud. This is a mountain for walkers with solid hill experience and good fitness, not a beginners' Munro. In winter it becomes a serious mountaineering objective requiring full winter skills. Read our companion guide to climbing Liathach for the neighbouring Torridon giant.

Choosing your day

Go in clear, dry, settled weather — both for the route-finding across the tops and to do justice to Coire Mhic Fhearchair, which is the highlight. Start early; the approaches are long and the ridge takes time. Carry the kit for a remote, exposed day in the North-West Highlands, where the weather can change fast. Beinn Eighe sits at the heart of our Torridon and Fisherfield bagging guide.

Related guides

• How to climb Liathach — Torridon's fearsome neighbour
• Munro bagging in Torridon and Fisherfield
• Scrambling grades explained
• Munros tracking app — offline maps for the ridge and Coire Mhic Fhearchair