An Teallach
1,062 m
United Kingdom
Also known as Bidein a' Ghlas ThuillAlso known as
Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill
- Elevation
- 1,062 m
- Prominence
- 757 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- May–Jun
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The simplest way to An Teallach's highest point: an improved path from the A832 at Dundonnell climbs over Meall Garbh and round the head of Coir' a' Mhuilinn to a slabby col, then a steep, loose scree and boulder slope leads to the trig point on Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill (1,062 m). Most continue 1 km to Sgùrr Fiona and return the same way; 13–16 km, 5½–6½ hours.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,054 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,062 m
- Time Up
- 4h 14m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 49m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park in the large layby off the A832 by the Dundonnell Mountain Rescue building, about 250 m east of the Dundonnell Hotel. Just before a pair of houses, a path leaves the road on the right, passes behind them and climbs the hillside. The path, rebuilt through Mountaineering Scotland's 'It's Up To Us' campaign, zigzags up onto the rocky ridge of Meall Garbh; keep to it rather than the boggy, eroded line beside the Allt a' Mhuilinn (which Steven Fallon's variant follows on its north bank). The path contours the head of the valley and climbs towards Sròn a' Choire, with views to the Summer Isles, then reaches a col almost paved with flat sandstone slabs. From here a worn path climbs steep scree and boulders to the south onto the ridge, and a short climb left reaches the trig point on Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill, looking straight across the void of Coire Toll an Lochain to Sgùrr Fiona and the Corrag Bhuidhe pinnacles. To add Sgùrr Fiona (1,058 m), follow the rocky ridge south-west to a bealach and either scramble up the crest near the corrie edge or take an easier path across the north face to its north-west ridge. Return the same way; on the way back Bidein can be bypassed on its western side at about 920 m. The upper ground is steep, loose Torridonian sandstone; in mist the corrie edges demand care, and in winter this is a serious mountaineering ascent.
Start
Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team6 m
- Westerbus from Inverness to Dundonnell runs about three times a week; a two-night stay is needed
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team → Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill | 5.7 | 1,054 | 0 | 4h 14m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team6 m
- Summit: Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill1,062 m
Key Passages
- Rebuilt zigzag path onto Meall Garbh
- Slab-paved col beyond Sròn a' Choire
- Steep scree and boulder slope to the summit ridge
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
'The Forge', a Torridonian sandstone massif above Little Loch Broom in Wester Ross whose crest of pinnacles, Corrag Bhuidhe and Lord Berkeley's Seat, forms one of the finest ridge traverses in Britain. Highest point Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill, 1,062 m.
An Teallach rises between Little Loch Broom and Loch na Sealga in the remote north-west of Scotland, west of Dundonnell Forest. Like the Torridon peaks it is built of terraced Torridonian sandstone, cut by steep gullies and crowned by a jagged crest. Ten summits exceed 3,000 ft, two of them Munros: Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill (1,062 m) and Sgùrr Fiona (1,058 m). Between Sgùrr Fiona and Sàil Liath the ridge breaks into the pinnacles of Corrag Bhuidhe, including the overhanging Lord Berkeley's Seat, above the cliff-ringed Coire Toll an Lochain.
The two Munros can be climbed as a steep but straightforward there-and-back hill walk from Dundonnell. The full traverse from Corrie Hallie is the reason most people come: a long, committing day of exposed scrambling on bare sandstone, with a bypass path for the hardest section that is itself loose and eroded. Views stretch from the Summer Isles to the Fisherfield and Torridon mountains.
The mountain is remote, the weather comes straight off the Atlantic, and the sandstone is slippery when wet. In winter the traverse becomes a serious Grade II mountaineering route, regarded as harder than Liathach or the Aonach Eagach.
Climbing Notes
For the Munros only, be fit for a 6-hour day with about 1,100–1,300 m of ascent on steep, loose ground, and confident navigating near corrie edges in mist. For the full traverse, you need a long day's fitness (9–12 hours), a good head for heights and solid Grade 2/3 scrambling experience, or the judgement to use the bypass path. Many parties go from Corrie Hallie south to north so that the steep sections are climbed rather than descended; less confident scramblers often carry a short rope. Local guides in Torridon and Ullapool lead the traverse.
Avoid the pinnacles in wet or windy weather: the sandstone becomes greasy and retreat from the crest is awkward. In winter the ridge requires full mountaineering equipment and experience. Accommodation is limited to Dundonnell, Ullapool and Shenavall bothy (a long walk in, beyond Corrie Hallie); during the stalking season check the daily signs at the access points.
History
The name means 'the forge' (or 'the anvil' or 'hearth'), perhaps from the mist that drifts like smoke around the pinnacles, or from a forge near the foot of the mountain, now remembered in the Old Smiddy mountaineering club hut. Until 1981 only Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill had Munro status; the Scottish Mountaineering Club then promoted Sgùrr Fiona to a Munro, and Corrag Bhuidhe Buttress was removed from the list of Tops in 1997. Lord Berkeley's Seat is said to be named after a nobleman who sat on its overhanging top with his legs over the edge, smoking a pipe.
Season
Best May–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter traverse is a serious Grade II route; very short days
- Feb
- Winter conditions likely
- Mar
- Winter conditions often persist on the ridge
- Apr
- Snow may linger on the crest and in gullies
- May
- Long days; good conditions if dry
- Jun
- Longest days for the full traverse
- Jul
- Good conditions; midges low down
- Aug
- Good conditions; midges low down
- Sep
- Stag stalking on Gruinard Estate from early September; main paths always open
- Oct
- Short days for the traverse; stalking until 20 October
- Nov
- Early winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions; very short days
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Access under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code
- Gruinard Estate (south-west of the main ridge): deer stalking from early September to 20 October and early November to 15 February, not on Sundays; daily signs are posted at the main access points, and access to An Teallach and Shenavall bothy by the main paths is always permitted (estate phone 01445 731240)
- Getting There
Dundonnell (hamlet); Ullapool (about 35 km by road via Braemore Junction)
Inverness Airport (INV)
- By car on the A832 from the A835 at Braemore Junction (near Corrieshalloch Gorge) to Dundonnell; park in the layby by the Mountain Rescue building, or at Corrie Hallie 3 km further south for the traverse
- Westerbus from Inverness to Dundonnell about three times a week; a two-night stay is needed
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather
- Rockfall
- Remoteness