be used, as an alternative to Kinloch Hourn, to access the remaining Corbetts in Knoydart, described in Section 4.
4 North Knoydart and Kinloch Hourn
This section includes the Corbetts that can be accessed from the small settlement of Kinloch Hourn at the eastern end of the long sea loch, Loch Hourn. Sections 3 and 4 cover an area known as na Garbh-Chriochan (the Rough Bounds), because of its harsh terrain and remoteness, and this is a good description of Knoydart which is sometimes referred to as ‘Britain’s last wilderness’. Fortunately it has good stalker’s paths to enable easy access through the rough terrain.
The distances from Loch Arkaig, Loch Hourn or from the village of Inverie mean that it isn’t really feasible to day-hike some of these Corbetts. Sgurr a’ Choire-bheithe is climbed from the remote Barisdale Bothy and other Corbetts from Inverie which can be accessed by ferry from Mallaig (see Section 2), by walking in from Sourlies Bothy (see Section 3) or by walking in from Barisdale Bothy as described in Section 4. Although Ben Aden and Beinn Bhuidhe have been included in Section 3 they could also be accessed from Barisdale or Inverie. The author recommends backpacking these peaks.
5 Glen Garry, Glen Shiel, Glen Elchaig and Loch Hourn
Sgurr Mhic Bharraich across Loch Duich from Sgurr an Airgid, Kintail (Route 41)
This section includes all the Corbetts that can be accessed from the A87 which links Invergarry to the Kyle of Lochalsh and Skye. This area is best known for the 16 Munros which line magnificent Glen Shiel and Loch Cluanie, including the Five Sisters which tower above Shiel Bridge. The Corbetts in Glen Shiel provide excellent viewpoints for these superb Munros. Also included are the remote peaks to the west of the massive Munro Carn Eige which would be best climbed on a backpacking trip and the isolated Corbetts above Arnisdale which provide magnificent views across Loch Hourn to the Knoydart Peninsula.
6 Glen Affric, Glen Cannich, Glen Strathfarrar and Strathconon
Glen Affric, Glen Cannich, Glen Strathfarrar and Strathconon are the four big glens which drain eastwards reaching the sea at Beauly Firth or Cromarty Firth, either side of the Black Isle. The long easy ridges bordering the glens provide excellent backpacking terrain and this would be the best way of climbing both the Munros and Corbetts in the area. The Munros tend to be concentrated at the head of these glens with the Corbetts further to the east. Many of the Munros are very remote but access to the Corbetts is easier for day-hikers.
7 Glen Carron, Glen Torridon and Loch Maree
Liathach from Beinn Dearg, Wester Ross (Route 58)
This section includes the spectacular peaks of Applecross and Torridon as well as the gentler peaks along Glen Carron and the isolated peaks in the Letterewe Forest to the north of Loch Maree.
Torridon is best known for the Munros Liathach and Beinn Eighe but the Corbetts in the area are every bit as dramatic, providing some of the best mountain scenery in Britain. The towering peaks are composed of Torridonian sandstone, often with a white quartzite cap, sitting on a base of Lewisian gneiss
Many of these peaks are steep and rocky and could be dangerous for the inexperienced walker in poor weather conditions.
8 Strath Garve, Fisherfield and Inverpolly
This is a rather mixed section with some rather uninteresting Corbetts along the A835 to the south-east, but some of the most dramatic mountains in Scotland to the north-west; the boundary being the line of the Moine Thrust, north-west of which the Torridonian sandstone peaks of Fisherfield and Inverpolly stand as ‘inselbergs’ above a heather wilderness scattered with numerous lochs and lochans. Also in this region is the majestic Munro An Teallach, but the finest mountains are possibly the Grahams, Suilven and Stac Pollaidh. Quite a lot of driving will be needed if you use Ullapool as a base for all these routes, but this is a region with very little accommodation and few official campsites. The peaks in the Fisherfield Forest are rather remote for a day-hike so the suggestion is to stay at Shenavall Bothy or to backpack these magnificent mountains.
9 Strathcarron and north-west Scotland
North-west Scotland provides some of the most stunning scenery in the world with Torridonian sandstone peaks rising starkly out of a wild moorland dotted with innumerable lochs and lochans finished off with views of a magnificent wild and scenic coastline. In an area with few Munros, it’s the Corbetts which dominate the landscape. There is no obvious base for this widespread section with most of the tiny population being scattered among small coastal villages whose economy is now based mainly around tourism. The magnificent scenery makes this prime backpacking terrain.
Also included in this section are the two Corbetts in Strathcarron at the head of the Dornoch Firth. These don’t fit naturally into any section but might be climbed on the drive north to the other peaks.
10 Skye and Harris
Skye is best known to walkers for the ‘Black Cuillin’ which provide some of the most dramatic and challenging mountain terrain in Scotland. Neither of the Corbetts in Skye is in the Black Cuillin, but Garbh-bheinn with some easy scrambling gives a taster of the delights of the Cuillin ridge. In complete contrast is Glamaig in the ‘Red Cuillin’, whose rounded hills are composed of granite with many long screes slopes on their flanks.
Harris (from the old Norse meaning ‘high land’) is the southern and more mountainous end of Lewis and Harris, the largest of the islands in the Outer Hebrides. Lewis has an incredibly diverse landscape, ranging from the dramatic, rocky landscape of the east coast and west coast with miles of golden sandy beaches with a backdrop of the mountains in the interior. While visiting Harris you should climb the three magnificent Grahams as well as the lone Corbett, An Cliseam.
Using this Guide
Road bridge below Sgurr nan Eugallt (Route 29)
Walking the Corbetts is divided into two volumes:
Volume 1 covers the Corbetts south of the Great Glen (which runs from Fort William to Inverness) and includes the islands of Arran and Jura.
Volume 2 covers the Corbetts north of the Great Glen and includes the islands of Mull, Rum, Skye and Harris.
Other guides number and organise the Corbetts as they appear in the SMC lists. This organisation was actually designed for the Munros and is illogical for the Corbetts. There are Corbetts in many areas where there are no Munros, and in other areas adjacent Corbetts are listed in different sections of the tables. For instance, Beinn Chuirn, Beinn Bhreac-liath and Beinn Odhar are all within 5km of Tyndrum but appear in three different sections of the SMC lists.
In this guide the Corbetts have been divided into 21 sections, 11 in Volume 1 and 10 in Volume 2. Each section could be climbed in a 1–2 week holiday. Corbetts have been arranged based on road access, so that it could be possible to climb the Corbetts in each section on a single trip.
Maps to take
The 1:100,000 maps in this guide should be sufficient to give you a feel for the route, but they are not intended for detailed navigation, particularly in bad weather. You should always carry the relevant OS Landranger (1:50,000) maps suggested for the route, either as a paper copy or loaded onto a
