Munro Bagging by Region: Glen Affric & Mullardoch

Glen Affric gets called the most beautiful glen in Scotland often enough that the sign at the car park may as well say it. Old Caledonian pine, a chain of lochs, and a skyline of eleven Munros — including the two highest mountains north of the Great Glen. It is also where casual bagging stops working: these hills demand long days, early starts, and in two famous cases, either a bike or a bunk at Britain's remotest hostel.

The Càrn Eige three

Càrn Eige (1,183m) and Mam Sodhail (1,181m) — the big two — make a natural horseshoe above Loch Affric: 10–12 hours, glorious high ridge walking, stalkers' paths doing the heavy lifting. The sting is Beinn Fhionnlaidh, stranded two kilometres beyond Càrn Eige above Loch Mullardoch: adding it means dropping 260m and climbing back over Càrn Eige on tired legs. Do it in the middle of the round, not as an afterthought — or save it for a Mullardoch boat trip if the stalking season and your budget align.

The Ceathreamhnan four and Alltbeithe

West of the glen, Sgùrr nan Ceathreamhnan (1,151m) anchors the most remote Munro cluster on the mainland, with Mullach na Dheiragain, An Socach and Toll Creagach/Tom a' Chòinich spread around it. The classic play is a night at Alltbeithe (Glen Affric SYHA) — no road, no phone signal, open roughly April–October — turning two brutal day-walks into one superb two-day round. Book ahead; it is small and famous. The alternative is the bike: the glen track is rideable almost to the hostel and saves 90 minutes each way.

The Mullardoch round

Over the ridge in Glen Cannich, the dam at Loch Mullardoch launches the Mullardoch four: Càrn nan Gobhar, Sgùrr na Lapaich (1,150m), An Riabhachan and An Socach. It is a 12-hour horseshoe with a long loch-side trudge home that walkers remember more vividly than the summits; when a boat operates from the dam it is worth every penny for the drop-off at the far end. Full winter turns this round into an expedition — see our daylight planner.

Logistics

• Bases: Cannich village (campsite, shop) sits between both glens; Drumnadrochit and Beauly for more options.
• Stalking: September–October affects the southern approaches — check before you go. Our stalking season guide explains the system.
• Conditions: these are high, remote hills that hold weather — check the live conditions page and each Munro's summit forecast before committing to the long rounds.
• Midges: Affric in July is a crime scene. May, June and September are the windows — see the midge guide.

Related reading

• Kintail & Glen Shiel — the neighbouring ridges
• Bothies to bases: where to stay
• The best multi-day Munro routes

Frequently asked questions