📌 Black Cuillin, Isle of Skye
★★★★
The highest summit on the Isle on Skye is guarded by the formidable obstacle of the Great Stone Chute. This exceptionally long and loose scree slope stretches for over 400 vertical metres into a narrowing gully above spectacular Coire Làgan, and climbing it is an exhausting slog. But a worthwhile one – the views from the summit, a short scramble beyond the top of the chute, are sensational. The jagged Cuillin Ridge, Blaven and the islands of Soay and Rùm are all part of the perfect panorama, with a steady stream of climbers closer to hand on good weather days. Aside from the dreaded scree, there is only a small amount of (relatively straightforward) scrambling to negotiate.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Glenbrittle Beach 
Climbing beside the burn, Loch Brittle beyond 
Approach to Coire Làgan, with Sgùrr Alasdair beyond (centre right) 
Isle of Rùm 
Sgùrr Alasdair (just left of centre) 
Path junction below Coire Làgan 
Approach to Coire Làgan 
Loch Brittle from the entrance to Coire Làgan 
Red deer 
Coire Làgan 
Great Stone Chute 
Scree slope at the north end of the coire – not on this route 
Great Stone Chute 
View back down the lower part of the scree 
View back over the coire to Sgùrr Dearg 
Sgùrr Mhic Chòinnich from the scree chute 
Upper part of the Great Stone Chute 
Looking back down the top part of the chute 
Sgùrr Alasdair summit area, looking ESE to the end of the Cuillin Ridge 
View southeast to Loch Coir’ a’ Ghrunnda & Sgùrr nan Eag 
View south to Rubha an Dùnain 
View southwest to Loch Brittle 
View northwest to Sgùrr Dearg & the Inaccessible Pinnacle 
View north along the Cuillin Ridge 
View east to Blaven (left distance) 
Cuillin Ridge panorama
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at minor road end, Glenbrittle Beach, Skye
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NG 409207
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.203159,-6.291608
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Car park (gets full)
📝 Key info
▶ 9 km / 6 mi | ▲ 1000 m | ⌛ 5.5-6.5 hr
Features: 🏖️ Glenbrittle Beach; 📷 Coire Làgan; 🧗 Great Stone Chute; △ Sgùrr Alasdair (992 m, Munro)
⬤ Very tough | Excellent path with steady ascent at first, then one slight scramble into Coire Làgan. Most of the rest of the ascent is via an exceptionally long scree slope which is quite loose in places (hands needed, consider helmets to protect against rockfall from other climbers). Then final straightforward scramble from bealach to summit.
Download file for GPS➡️ Out-and-back walk: start & Glenbrittle Beach – Coire Làgan – Great Stone Chute – bealach – scramble to right to reach Sgùrr Alasdair summit – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Pair of red deer at entrance to Coire Làgan.
Weather: Sunny ascent, then clouding over with a rain shower on the scree descent. Light wind, temperature in mid teens.
May 2022
