Ben Mor Coigach ( gd, Beinn Mhòr na Còigich) is the highest point along a ridge rising steeply from
Loch Broom
Loch Broom ( gd, Lochbraon, "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.
L ...
, in the far north-west of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. 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, 10 kilometres north-west of
Ullapool
Ullapool (; gd, Ulapul ) is a village and port located in Northern Scotland. Ullapool has a population of around 1,500 inhabitants. It is located around northwest of Inverness in Ross and Cromarty, Scottish Highlands. Despite its modest size, ...
, reaching a height of 743 metres (2438 feet). Its coastal position, combined with its high
topographic prominence
In topography, prominence (also referred to as autonomous height, relative height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop or relative height in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contou ...
to height ratio, provides a spectacular panorama, sweeping from Ullapool across to the
Summer Isles and north over the Coigach to the distinctive peaks of the Assynt, as well as more distant views to
Skye and the
Outer Hebrides, 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 35,000 members. The Scottish Wildlife Trust acquired its first ...
nature reserve.
Ascents
Ben Mor Coigach can be climbed from Bleughasary (where there is a car park) to the south-east, or from Culnacraig to the south-west.
From Bleughasary, 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 (; gd, Achd Ille Bhuidhe 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 S ...
, is from Culnacraig. One option follows the line of a long ridge towards the summit of Sgurr an Fhidhleir (the Fiddler). This can either be included or traversed via its south face, before the ascent of Ben Mor Coigach from the north-east.
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 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
![Postpath](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Postpath.jpg)
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 seven miles. 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 ( gd, Lochbraon, "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.
L ...
. Easy
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 is also used to describe terrain that falls between hiking and rock climbing (as a “scrambl ...
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 Landscapeannounced 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 ScotlandGeographScottish Coastal Walk
External links
Walk Highlandsentry, including pronunciation
Coigach & AssyntPostman'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