THE TOP 5 (+ 1)
Photographer Tom Bailey has been climbing mountains for Country Walking and Trail for more than 20 years and estimates he’s ticked off about 150 Munros. These are his favourites.
SLIOCH
At the very head of Loch Maree in the Northern Highlands, the ‘spear hill’ dominates everything around it, with the loch acting as a moat for this fortress in the sky. Its proximity to the loch and road is tantalising, yet getting to it involves a long walk from Incheril – the perfect distance for a big mountain day. The summit of Slioch sits at the north western end of the Torridonian sandstone massif, and the views along Loch Maree with its tree-covered islands make this part of Scotland feel like paradise.
BEN HOPE*
From the summit of this most northerly Munro you can see to the north coast. In our long, thin country, that coast is a long way from most of us, so its sight is actually quite moving. Ben Hope stands alone up here and 3041 feet of height count for a lot when there’s not much else around. But the best thing about this cardinal point of a mountain, is it’s straightforward and relatively quick to climb. The challenge is getting to it in the first place; the reward is the ease of the ascent and magnitude of the views.
THE DEVIL’S POINT
At 3303 feet The Devil’s Point (or ‘penis of the demon’) sits at the southerly end of a line of larger Munros. What makes the seven-mile walk-in worthwhile, and why this Cairngorm character betters its taller neighbours, is where it stands. Looming over the Corrour Bothy, the summit is the guardian of the meeting point of four huge glens: the Lairig Ghru, and Glens Luibeg, Dee and Geusachan. Sat up top, you begin to understand the sheer scale of this land and the forces that formed it.
BLABHEINN*
This one is situated on the Isle of Skye, just behind the famously lovely Camasunary Bay upon which it gazes down. It’s a stand alone mountain, and on Skye that’s quite unusual. In my opinion, Blabheinn’s south ridge is the finest place to see the full spectacle that is the Cuillin Ridge, but make no mistake, this is a tough, savage mountain. Luckily, there are a few options to the top for the walker; time it right and you’ll take away memories that’ll nourish you for years to come.
BIDEAN NAM BIAN
Hidden behind Glen Coe’s Three Sisters is the glen’s monarch: the elusively shy Bidean nam Bian. What those driving through the glen don’t see is that this 3771-foot mountain is complex as well as bashful. If that’s not enough, one of the main routes up passes through the Lost Valley, a hanging valley whose mouth is cloaked with trees. The summit of Bidean nam Bian is pleasingly distinct, and from it you can see little of the ‘real world’ below. This Munro really is hidden, not in plain sight, but behind it.
SUILVEN*
Life is never that straightforward, and mountains are no different. For me the one Scottish mountain I’d choose above all others isn’t a Munro. It’s Suilven. At 2398 feet it shouldn’t even be on a Munroist’s radar, but I’d argue that presence counts for something and Suilven has enough of that to top any list. I guarantee you’ll remember the first time you lay eyes on it; I think we all leave a part of our hearts up in this remote corner of Assynt. If you ever tire of climbing Munros, go to Suilven and be seduced.
Find full route guides and maps for the walks marked with an * at walk1000miles.co.uk/bonusroutes