Ben Mor Coigach
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Ben Mor Coigach () is the highest point along a ridge rising steeply from
Loch Broom Loch Broom (, "loch of rain showers") is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, on the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch. Little Loch Br ...
, in the far northwest of
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. It rises above the
Coigach Coigach () is a peninsula north of Ullapool, in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The area consists of a traditional crofting and fishing community of a couple of hundred houses located between mountain and shore on a peninsula ...
peninsula in the county of
Ross and Cromarty Ross and Cromarty (), is an area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. In modern usage, it is a registration county and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. Between 1889 and 1975 it was a Shires of Scotland, county. Historical ...
, 10 kilometres northwest of
Ullapool Ullapool (; ) is a village and port located in the civil parish of Lochbroom in the county of Ross and Cromarty, Scottish Highlands. It is located around northwest of Inverness. According to the Scottish Government in 2016, the village had a ...
, reaching a height of . Its coastal position, combined with its high
topographic prominence In topography, prominence or relative height (also referred to as autonomous height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling ...
to height ratio, provides a spectacular panorama, sweeping from Ullapool across to the
Summer Isles The Summer Isles (, ) are an archipelago lying in the mouth of Loch Broom, in the Highland region of Scotland. Geography Tanera Mòr is the largest island and was the last one to remain inhabited.Kane, Jenny (20 November 2014) "Last permanent ...
and north over the Coigach to the distinctive peaks of the Assynt, as well as more distant views to
Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...
and the
Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides ( ) or Western Isles ( , or ), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (), is an Archipelago, island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles. The islan ...
, conditions permitting. The area is a
Scottish Wildlife Trust The Scottish Wildlife Trust () is a registered charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and natural environment of Scotland. Description The Scottish Wildlife Trust has well over 46,000 members. The Scottish Wildlife Trust acquired its fi ...
nature reserve.


Ascents

Ben Mor Coigach can be climbed from Bleughasary (where there is a car park) to the southeast, or from Culnacraig to the southwest. From Bleughasary, hikers must follow a 4x4 track (shown on the OS map) as far as Loch Eadar dha Bheinn, then pass the outflow east of the loch and head up onto the east ridge. From here the route passes over the Speicin Coinnich and onto a large and flat summit area. The Speicin Coinnich is quite exposed but not as steep as it may appear from below. A more popular starting point, albeit requiring a longer drive in via
Achiltibuie Achiltibuie (; or ''Field of the yellow-haired boy'') is a long linear village in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, on the Coigach coast of northwestern Scotland, overlooking Badentarbet Bay to the west. Loch Broom and the Summer Isles lie to the so ...
, is from Culnacraig. One option follows the line of a long ridge towards the summit of Sgurr an Fhidhleir (the Fiddler), which is commonly traversed via its south face before the ascent of Ben Mor Coigach from the northeast, or climbed together with Ben Mor Coigach. A more direct but at times steeper route rises east from Culnacraig in just two kilometres to the ridge's southwestern peak of Speicein nan Garbh Choireachan (738 metres). From here hikers follow the impressive and exposed crest of the ridge, drop down to a col and rise up northward to the summit, before dropping to the next saddle and turning west along the spur between the two deep burns (Allt) running back to Culnacraig.


The Postman's Path

Some walkers may be tempted to use one of the above-mentioned starting points, then descend via the other before completing the loop via part of the "Postman's Path", which follows the coast from Culnacraig to Strathcanaird. Named after the postmen who used it before the hamlets of the
Coigach Coigach () is a peninsula north of Ullapool, in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The area consists of a traditional crofting and fishing community of a couple of hundred houses located between mountain and shore on a peninsula ...
were connected to the road network, the path links Culnacraig with Bulghassary over about . Warnings at signposts at each end should not be dismissed. Even a fit walker may struggle to complete this leg in less than four hours. At times the extremely narrow path traverses 45-degree slopes which drop straight into
Loch Broom Loch Broom (, "loch of rain showers") is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, on the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch. Little Loch Br ...
. Some modest
scrambling Scrambling is a mountaineering term for ascending steep terrain using one's hands to assist in holds and balance.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. It can be described as being between hiking and climbing, rock climbing. "A scramble" is a relat ...
is required in places, and some of these moves can feel exposed. Burn crossings may be difficult or even impossible in spate, in high summer vegetation may obscure the path and at the Strathcanaird end, bogs add to the difficulties. Despite its low altitude, this route traverses steep, exposed slopes, and should be regarded as a true mountain walk. In 2021 th
Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape
announced that an upgrade to the path had been completed. Apart from a short section of slab paving and a few additional marker posts, as of June 2021 the exposed sections of the track appear to be unchanged.


References

* The Corbetts and Other Scottish Hills, (SMC Guide)
Walk in Scotland

Geograph



Scottish Coastal Walk


External links


Walk Highlands
entry, including pronunciation
Coigach & Assynt
Postman's Path upgrade. {{coord, 57.98606, -5.22562, type:landmark_region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(NC094042), display=title Marilyns of Scotland Mountains and hills of the Northwest Highlands Nature reserves in Scotland Ross and Cromarty Grahams