The Red Cuillin - Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach & Beinn Dearg Mhor

6 December 2006 - a cold December day
Start: OS Explorer 411 GR486298; Sligachan Hotel

Set off: 0930
Return: 1430
Duration: 4hrs. Distance: 12km
Total Height Climbed: 870m

Note hill walking can be dangerous and this route is long, these details are for info only.

The Red Cuillins are easily accessed from Sligachan and are always in view from the B&B (weather permitting). Steve has sent a few of our guests up these and so it was time that we practiced what he preached! So on a mixed weather day in December, I took dad (Steve) on a 5 hour walk over Sron a Bhealain, Druim na Ruaige, Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach and Beinn Dearg Mhor - or more easily, the Red Cuillins! We parked by The Sligachan Hotel, got kitted up and set off at just after half past nine. First step is over the Old Bridge - a feature of many a Sligachan photo with Sgurr nan Gillean, Am Basteir and The Basteir Tooth as the backdrop!
The path heads up into Glen Sligachan but after a few hundred yards, just passed the bunkhouse (which is on the other side of the river) we branched left through the gate and onwards fairly high above the river (Allt Daraich). It is very boggy here, even after a dry spell so it was well wet at this time of year so progress was careful and slow. Well for me , I ran through everything, Steve took his time! We soon came to a lovely waterfall with Glamaig behind it. Here, it is worth moving right to the fence and up to the corner where there is a stile for a man handle over. A rough and very wet path heads off towards the steep slopes of Sron a Bhealain and can be followed up the slopes with some very obvious but annoying false tops before reaching the summit where we enjoyed a cup of coffee, dog biscuits and water! The Druim na Ruaige stretches out from here and is easy to follow. On the way we were caught in a brief shower with a wee bit of snow! It turned pretty chilly and although the wind was light, it did produce quite a windchill!
As the ridge swept round towards the left and the west ridge of Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach, we looked back along the way we had came to see a couple of rainbows as you can see. The west ridge then steepened and we zig-zagged our way up following several paths as they appeared and disappeared and soon arrived at the top where we wrapped up and called home as well as had lunch!
After a couple of cups of tea to warm Steve up and a good doggie rub for me (the windchill was quite bitter), we packed up and headed off towards Beinn Dearg Mhor. The going was easy on the drop down to the dip, Bealach Mosgaraidh, before we started up the fairly steep SW ridge of The Big (Mhor) Red (Dearg) Hill (Beinn). A steady climb and zig-zag brought us up to towards the top. I tricked Steve into thinking I was struggling but then I made to dart off towards some sheep and he had to call me back! We sheltered on the east side and enjoyed a bit of sunshine and another coffee looking down from 2398 feet to the road and lochs below, another great viewpoint.
We then continued down the ridge towards Glamaig - the going was easy at first until we reached the final drop to the Bealach na Sgairde (is that scaredy!). It was tough going down here, especially for my wee legs and I had to work my way down with great gusto and bounding! Just before the bealach we were caught by another brief very cold rain shower. We decided to call it a day as this was the longest walk I had been on so we dropped down towards the Allt Bealach na Sgairde and followed one of the sheep paths out onto the WNW ridge of Beinn Dearg Mhor and back across the wet boggy land towards Sligachan again. We picked up the Allt Daraich again and caught another lovely waterfall before rejoining the path back to the Hotel.