📌 Achfary, Highland
★★★★
In clear weather, a prominent rock line jutting out of grassland creates an easily followed route directly to the top of Ben Stack: a wonderful viewpoint for the maze of lochans and wild country between here and the Atlantic Ocean. Loch Stack and the mesmerising quartzite massif of Arkle are breathtakingly beautiful accompaniments to the breathtakingly relentless ascent; any paths are rough, but it’s less than three miles to the top. The short distances involved could make this hill an ideal candidate for a pit-stop while travelling to or from the far northwest… and it feels you can see most of the region from the tiny twin peaks. For summit baggers, the true summit is beyond the trig point, on the opposite mini-summit.
📷 Chronological photo guide
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish on the A838 0.5 mi north of Achfary
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NC 297402
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 58.317401,-4.909887
🚌 Extremely infrequent bus to Achfary (0.5 mi)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 8 km / 5 mi | ▲ 700 m | ⌛ 3.5-4 hr
Features: △ Ben Stack (720 m, “Torbett”)
⬤ Tough | Faint track at first, then mainly pathless up the ridge with the odd hint of a trodden route.
Download file for GPS➡️ Out-and-back walk: start – leave road at 🧭 NC 296401 – Leathad na Stioma – Ben Stack by southeast ridge – start by outward route
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Not much…
Weather: Mostly sunny with large clouds about and strong, gusty winds. Rainbow on the return thanks to a nearby rain shower.
April 2013
