Aonach Beag

About Aonach Beag

Though its name translates as 'small ridge', this Munro is the seventh-highest peak in Britain, outstripping its bulkier neighbor Aonach Mòr. It is a hill of two halves: a broad, whale-back summit plateau that gives way to the spectacular, snow-holding cliffs of Coire an Lochain on its eastern flank.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic 'An t-Aonach Beag', meaning 'the small ridge'. This is a notorious misnomer regarding its height; the name actually refers to the mountain's narrower profile when viewed from the glens to the north, whereas its neighbour Aonach Mòr appears much broader despite being 13 metres lower.
• •The mountain's eastern corries are famous for their ability to hold snow deep into the year. Coire an Lochain often retains its snow patches throughout the summer, and in particularly cold cycles, these patches have been known to survive until the following winter's first falls.
• •While many baggers use the Nevis Range gondola to reach the high plateau via Aonach Mòr, the more traditional approach from Glen Nevis is far more demanding. This southern route passes the spectacular Steall Falls before a relentless climb up the mountain’s steep, grassy southern shoulder.
• •The summit provides one of the finest perspectives of Ben Nevis, looking directly across the CMD Arête into the dark, complex architecture of the North Face crags. Looking east, the quartzite tops of the Grey Corries form a stark, pale ridge line that contrasts sharply with the green of the Great Glen.
• •It is a rare Scottish mountain that allows you to stand on a remote 4,000ft plateau while watching a gondola full of mountain bikers and tourists buzz up and down the neighbouring hillside.