Scotland
Beinn Sgiath
887M
2909FT
About Beinn Sgiath
Rising above the upper reaches of the River Calder near Newtonmore, this broad, heather-clad shoulder forms part of the sprawling Monadhliath massif. Often overlooked in favour of neighbouring Geal Charn, it offers a quieter vantage point with expansive views across the Spey Valley toward the high Cairngorm plateau.
Key Statistics
Rank
37th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Prominence
?
48.3m
Nearest Town
Highland
Geology
You are walking on a base of granite-like rock that contains large, embedded chunks of hardened sandstone.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN566981
Latitude
57.0516°N
Longitude
4.3657°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Gaelic Beinn Sgiath, meaning 'Wing Hill,' describing its physical form as a secondary ridge sweeping away from the higher central massif of the Monadhliath.
- •The summit provides an excellent perspective of the Corrieyairack Pass to the west, an old military road built by General Wade in the 1730s to link Fort Augustus with Dalwhinnie.
- •Looking east across the Spey Valley, the summit offers a framed view of the Cairngorms, with the deep notch of the Lairig Ghru visible between the massive hulks of Braeriach and Ben Macdui.
- •The terrain is a classic Monadhliath mix of heather and peat hags; it is the kind of ground that suggests the 'Wing Hill' name might actually refer to a walker’s desire for flight to avoid the boggy bits.