Beinn a' Bheithir - Sgorr Dhearg

Rising sharply above Ballachulish, this is the higher of two Munros on the 'Mountain of the Thunderbolt.' It forms part of a magnificent horseshoe ridge, offering an airy, high-altitude traverse between deep glens. The ascent through dense forest transitions into a rocky, broad crest with a true West Highland character.

• •The name Beinn a' Bheithir is often translated from Scottish Gaelic as 'Mountain of the Thunderbolt,' but it also refers to a 'beast' or serpent. Local folklore tells of a dragon that once lived in the mountain's corries, terrorising the residents of Ballachulish below.
• •The summit provides an exceptional vantage point looking directly down the length of Loch Leven toward the jagged skyline of the Mamores and the massive south face of Ben Nevis, while the Ardgour hills are visible across Loch Linnhe to the west.
• •Sgorr Dhearg is almost always climbed alongside its twin Munro, Sgorr Dhònuill; the two are connected by a narrow, steep-sided col at the head of Gleann a' Chaolais, forming a classic mountain circuit.
• •The northern slopes overlook the historic Ballachulish slate quarries. For centuries, the 'blue' slate extracted from the base of this massif was used to roof buildings across the world.
• •Given that the walk usually begins at the Glenachulish forest car park—barely 20 metres above sea level—you are required to earn every single one of its 1,024 metres the hard way.