THE GREAT OUTDOORS
A big day out on highest peak in north Highlands
The highest peak in the Northern Highlands, Beinn Dearg is a fine big lump of a hill, dominating views southeast from Ullapool.
It’s part of a group of four Munros easily accessed from Inverlael. The others are Cona’ Mheall, Meall nan Ceapraichean and Eididh nan Clach Geala.
A bit of a mouthful for nonGaelic speakers, most hillwalkers refer to them simply as “the Deargs”
As a single hill, Beinn Dearg can be climbed via the forest trails from Inverlael, and then the excellent stalkers’ path to Bealach an Lochain Uaine. From there, the famine wall can be followed, diverting to the summit. The wall can be followed once again down the west ridge – which steepens toward its end. It makes a nice loop. Cona’ Mheall can be added as a there-and-back.
However, the best day out on Beinn Dearg is the circuit of all four Munros – it’s a superb day, whatever the time of year.
It’s a big day, though – my winter round took just over nine hours so I’d recommend waiting for the longer days of March, when the snow can be crisp underfoot and the sun blazing overhead, unless you don’t mind starting or finishing in the dark.
One August when I did this round, we met a lone Austrian woman at Bealach an Lochain Uaine. She’d seen us heading back from Cona’ Mheall and waited.
Thick clag shrouded the summits and she told us she wanted to do Beinn Dearg but that it was “too dark”. Instead, she asked if she could tag along with us on our final two Munros. We were more than happy but were stunned to discover she had a map but no compass.
My friend Ron asked if she used a compass on the hills back home.
“No,” she answered. “In Austria, we can see our mountains.”