At Teallach • 1,062 m - Scotland's Three Peaks

The semicircular An Teallach mountain range opens to the east toward the small Loch Toll an Lochain and is among the peaks over 3,000 feet high. Of these, Bidein a’ Ghlas Thuill (1,062 m) and Sgurr Fiona (1,060 m) are classified as Munros. The massif consists primarily of Torridonian sandstone, which is known for its characteristic steeply sloping and slightly terraced summit areas. These are interspersed with broad scree slopes and crisscrossed by steep gullies. The complete traverse across the three small pinnacles—known as the Corrag Buidhe Pinnacles—along with the legendary Lord Berkeley’s Seat, lends the entire landscape a unique character. An Teallach is considered one of Scotland’s most spectacular, yet also most challenging, mountains. A contrast awaits you: tranquility in mystical nature and the anxiety of finding the right path. The thrill of standing on the precipice never fails to take your breath away.> From Parking Lot01 (89 m), we walk along the shoulder of the A832 toward Dundonnell. We ignore the right turn at the red mailbox and continue straight ahead; after 3.8 km, past a pair of bungalows, we begin the ascent on a path branching off to the left. After 5 km, at a cairn, we do not continue straight ahead but follow the path branching off to the right, which is less marshy. The path continuing straight ahead is the new route, but it’s far more marshy! The trail winds steeply uphill in tight switchbacks, offering a breathtaking view of the rocky ridge of Meall Garbh rising before us. On the subsequent ridge of flat, weathered sandstone, the trail disappears; we now ascend parallel to the valley below, following the new hiking trail to a hill known as Sron a’ Choire.We walk in a semicircle around the hill to our left to the saddle between Glas Mheal Mor and Bidein a’ Ghlas Thuill, with its broad sandstone slabs. From there, you ascend directly along the rocky ridge or on one of the many scree-covered paths winding up the steep mountainside to the summit of Bidein a’ Ghlas Thuill02 (1,062 m). This is the higher of the two Munros in An Teallach. A 360° panoramic view unfolds, but your gaze is automatically drawn to the southwest, where a spectacular and unique panorama of the neighboring peak, Sgurr Fiona, and the small rocky spires of Corrag Buidhe awaits—arguably the most impressive view in the Scottish mountains.We descend via the rocky southern ridge and, from the saddle, follow the extremely steep and rocky ridge—which involves some boulder climbing—of Sgurr Fiona03 (1,060 m). Here, too, there is the option of a less exposed route by climbing the slope below the summit in tight switchbacks along one of the numerous scree-covered trails. This offers a different, yet still extremely impressive view of the Corrag Buidhe Pinnacles. The descent follows the steep southeast ridge to the saddle. Now you must decide whether to traverse the slope below the rock spires on a narrow path to bypass the climbing sections. However, this trail is also steep and exposed and can be very slippery in wet conditions. If you ascend directly along the ridge on the bare but grippy sandstone, you’ll first reach what’s known as Lord Berkeley’s Seat, a truly terrifying-looking peak that drops almost vertically 500 m down to Loch Toll an Lochain. Next come the second and third summits of the Corrag Buidhe Pinnacle04 (1,047 m). Warning! Behind the third summit is a section rated Grade III; several fatal accidents have already occurred here. It is advisable to backtrack a short distance to find a bypass route that runs along the right side of the ridge.Back on the trail, descend a short distance to the saddle, then climb the penultimate peak and finally the last peak, Sail Liath05 (954 m) (not a Munro). From Sail Liath, a broad ridgeline initially slopes down toward the southeast. As soon as the trail becomes difficult to make out, we head toward a large rock with a cairn on top of it. Here, we head eastward on the descent to bypass a steep slope. In this rocky wasteland, finding our way—aided by scattered cairns—is not easy. During the subsequent descent, we head toward a hiking trail that runs from south to north across the valley floor. We continue along this trail, keeping slightly to the left, until it joins a vehicle track that leads to the A832.