📌 Coigach, Highland
★★★★
The great wall of Garbh Choireachan is well seen from the main road north of Ullapool, creating a formidable barrier blocking direct access to the Coigach peninsula. After a tough initial ascent on pathless ground, traversing the western half of the ridge makes a fantastic, airy but surprisingly straightforward introduction to this unspoiled region, with the rocky route eventually broadening to the top of Ben More Coigach: the highest hill in the area. A grassy stroll north from here to Sgùrr an Fhìdleir (The Fiddler) belies the true character of this second summit; cliffs fall away almost vertically on three sides from the summit cairn, allowing an uninterrupted view of the Assynt hills. Could this be one of the most jaw-dropping panoramas anywhere in Scotland?
📷 Chronological photo guide
Conmheall, seen from the start 
Garbh Choireachan ridge from near the start 
Allt a’ Choire Rèidh 
The ascent has only an occasional path 
Ben More Coigach (left) & the Garbh Choireachan ridge 
View back over the Summer Isles from the foot of the ridge 
Looking up Loch Broom towards Ullapool from the Garbh Choireachan ridge 
Looking east along the Garbh Choireachan ridge 
Garbh Choireachan ridge 
Ben More Coigach 
Looking west along the Garbh Choireachan ridge 
View east from Ben More Coigach 
View back along the Garbh Choireachan ridge 
Amazing Assynt from Ben More Coigach 
Stac Pollaidh in between Sgùrr an Fhìdleir (left) & Beinn an Eòin (right) 
Gentle ground between Ben More Coigach & Sgùrr an Fhìdleir 
Sgùrr an Fhìdleir 
Into the void: looking north from Sgùrr an Fhìdleir 
Looking north from Sgùrr an Fhìdleir 
View northwest from Sgùrr an Fhìdleir 
View south to Ben More Coigach from Sgùrr an Fhìdleir 
View east from Sgùrr an Fhìdleir 
Mostly easy going for the descent
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish on minor road just west of Culnacraig
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NC 062042
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.984317,-5.280117
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 10 km / 6 mi | ▲ 870 m | ⌛ 5-6 hr
Features: ⛰️ Garbh Choireachan ridge; △ Ben More Coigach (743 m, “Torbett”); △ Sgùrr an Fhìdleir (705 m, “Torbett”); 🦅 Ben More Coigach Nature Reserve
⬤ Tough | Varied on ascent: only occasional path and often steep gradients until ridge is gained, then clear path with some exposure (though little or no scrambling) to Ben More Coigach. Pathless section on easy ground to Sgùrr an Fhìdleir. Descent: pathless at first, but soon clear path with some boggy patches.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit: start – continue straight ahead behind cottages at Culnacraig road end – cross Allt nan Coisiche at 🧭 NC 071037 – ascent west end of Garbh Choireachan – Garbh Choireachan ridge – Ben More Coigach – descend east then north to bealach – Sgùrr an Fhìdleir – start via direct path to southwest
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Sheep and lambs, grasshoppers, dragonflies.
Weather: Cotton wool clouds, good sunny periods, temperature in mid teens.
July 2018
