Читать книгу Scotland's Best Small Mountains. 40 of the best small mountains in Scotland under 3000ft онлайн

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To continue, head west, making use of the small path that runs along the north side of the ridge to avoid the first rocky towers. This brings you to the unavoidable final tower for which you will need a good head for heights and scrambling skills to gain the summit (613m) (107 106, 2.5km, 1hr45). You are rewarded with great views west to the Summer Isles and across to neighbouring peaks.

Retrace your steps to the cairn, then head northeast down a path on the far side of the previously mentioned fence line. This brings you down to the main path around the hill, which this time takes you round the east of the peak.

A few large zigzags bring you to the front of Stac Pollaidh again, then back to car park (5km, 2hr–2hr30).

Alternatives

Avoiding the Ridge

An easy circular route of Stac Pollaidh can be made without gaining the ridge at all. To do this, take the left turn when the path divides to the north of the peak and continue round (3.5km, 400m).

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Ben More Coigach (743m) and Sgurr An Fhidhleir (705m) ‘big hill of Coigach’, Coigach coming from the Gaelic coigeach, meaning ‘a fifth share of land’, in this case thought to mean a fifth of the then Cromarties; Sgurr an Fhidhleir translates literally as ‘peak of the fiddler’