Beinn Alligin

Wednesday 29th May 2019

Before heading out into the mountains at the start of the week of this walk, I checked the weather forecast and it was not looking good for Wednesday with rain likely, although to be fair to M.W.I.S. it also said “detail uncertain”. Expecting rain I was surprised to wake at the start of this day to clear blue skies and warmth that I had not experienced at any time previously during my holiday in Scotland. Packing up my tent after two nights camped between two of the giants of Torridon, Liathach and Beinn Eighe, in Coire Dubh Mór, I set off up the path away from the road retracing my steps of the day before toward the Triple Buttress in Coire Mhic Fhearchair. At a large cairn I ignored the path that branches right to the Triple Buttress and kept straight on along a surprisingly good path that slowly passes below the northern slopes of Liathach. These slopes are rarely seen though as with most mountains in Scotland they are the most complex and dramatic with many crag-filled corries that bear witness to the creative effects of glaciation.

To my right as I slowly made my way along the path, the steep slopes of Beinn Dearg looked impenetrable although I reflected that a clear path would have been forged up if only it had the extra metre that would have granted it Munro status. However, my eye was not on Beinn Dearg but its neighbour, Beinn Alligin, which does attain Munro status, and is usually grouped with the two giants of Torridon mentioned earlier even though its length is only half that of the other two. I climbed this mountain in 2009 in deteriorating weather so now that I had surprisingly good weather I thought I would do it again, but in the opposite direction, which I had thought after my walk in 2009 could be more satisfying, so this was my opportunity to find out. I was not the only person taking advantage of the good weather as I could see many people climbing it as I approached the junction of the Abhainn Coire Mhic Nòbuil, which I had been following, with the Allt a’ Bhealaich. Near this point I stopped and after moving a distance away from the path I set up my tent hastily throwing any unwanted items into it before setting off up the path now with a considerably lighter rucksack.

There were two large groups ahead of me also just starting the climb at this time, and as with every large group, they moved only as fast as their slowest person so it didn’t take me long to overtake the first such group. Where the terrain steepens dramatically a cunning path weaves a good scrambling route up the sheer, craggy hillside, and it was a sheer joy to climb even though I was delayed by the slow-moving second group ahead of me. Eventually I managed to pass them and when the terrain eased I enjoyed the walk up the rocky ground to the summit of the first of the Horns of Alligin, the three pinnacles that are a distinctive feature of this mountain. The climb to the first, and smallest, horn had been gentle, but now a steep scramble down was required before I could continue and I found this particularly tricky and nerve-wracking. Although I had enjoyed the scramble up the mountain I did not like the scramble off the first horn, but with hindsight I think it would have helped if I had dismantled my walking poles first as these got in the way. In 2009, despite poor weather, I traversed all three horns without difficulty, so maybe I shouldn’t have been so fearful this time, but I chickened out instead and followed a narrow bypassing path that clings to the steep southern slopes of the horns.

I didn’t think there was a bypassing path in 2009 so I must not have seen it in the poor weather, but now I found it to be quite a thrilling route along a faint, narrow path with a sheer drop to my left, and although I may have erred on the side of caution, I experienced an interesting path instead. On reaching the col beyond the horns I suddenly had stunning views to the north towards the Corbett of Baosbheinn and beyond to the coast at Gairloch. Climbing steeply I made my way to the top of Sgùrr Mhòr, the Munro that is the highest point on Beinn Alligin with views that were everywhere stunning, especially where I had come across the Horns of Alligin with Beinn Dearg immediately behind while Beinn Eighe and Liathach lurked in the distance. It is days like this on mountains that keep drawing me back to Scotland even though weather as good as this is rare in the Highlands. After eating my lunch I descended the steep slopes around the terrifying cleft of Eag Dhubh that has gouged the most distinctive feature out of the side of Beinn Alligin. Keeping to the path that minimises the undulation along the ridge I made my way around the top of Tom a’Mhadaibh Mòr and began climbing up to the top of Tom na Griagaich, the second Munro on Beinn Alligin.

When the terrain eased I veered right into a saddle and totally missed the summit, so when I realised I had to turn around and head up to the trig point that adorns the top of the Munro where I simply awestruck at the stunning view all around me. Coming back down to the col I ignored the southern top of Meall an Laoigh and immediately headed down into Coir’ nan Laogh on a good path that was a pleasure to follow despite hurting my knees at times. The great path continues out of the corrie and across craggy terrain descending all the way until eventually I reached the road at the bridge over the Abhainn Coire Mhic Nòbuil, but unfortunately I needed to head back up the path on the other side of the river in order to get back to my tent. I could have spent the night at that spot, but since it was still quite early I decided to pack up and head back down the path to the road and then walk the several miles into the village of Torridon. I decided, since I was in the area, that I would enquire at the youth hostel to see if they had a spare bed, and when I learnt that they didn’t I was able to pitch my tent in the adjacent camp site. I had not expected to get such good weather on this walk and I was very happy to be able to take advantage of it by climbing a fabulous mountain. You don’t get days like this very often in Scotland so I felt fortunate to enjoy this one.

Most guidebooks recommend doing this walk in the opposite direction, as I did in 2009, and having now done the walk in both directions I would probably side with the majority. Although I usually prefer slow descents and steep ascents, which would favour the direction of this walk, ultimately the traverse of the Horns of Alligin is better done in the other direction. The hardest scramble on the traverse is up to the easternmost horn so this is best done in ascent. It was tackling this that put me off completing the traverse, but if you have no problem with steep scrambles in either direction maybe this one was not a bad idea.