Beinn a' Bheithir - Sgorr Dhonuill

About Beinn a' Bheithir - Sgorr Dhonuill

Standing as the western peak of the great Beinn a' Bheithir horseshoe, this Munro offers a sharp, rocky contrast to its broader neighbour, Sgorr Dhearg. The ascent from Glen Duror or Ballachulish involves steep ground and a narrow summit ridge, rewarding walkers with exceptional vistas over Loch Linnhe towards the Ardgour hills.

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Did You Know?

• •The name Sgòrr Dhòmhnaill translates from Gaelic as 'Donald’s Peak', while the parent massif, Beinn a' Bheithir, is known as the 'Mountain of the Beast'. Local folklore tells of a dragon that once occupied the corries, eventually lured to its death by a trail of spiked barrels leading into the sea.
• •It is almost always climbed in tandem with Sgorr Dhearg. The traverse between the two Munros follows a high, undulating ridge that provides a grandstand view of the Ballachulish Bridge and the narrows of Loch Leven far below.
• •The summit offers a spectacular perspective on the Great Glen fault line. Looking northeast, you can trace the path of Loch Linnhe as it cuts inland, with the massive south face of Ben Nevis dominating the horizon beyond the Mamores.
• •The lower approaches are heavily forested, particularly through Glen Duror to the south. These woods serve as a habitat for red squirrels and pine martens, though most walkers are more focused on the sudden transition from dark timber to the bright, open quartzite of the upper ridges.
• •Despite the peak being named after a specific Donald, there is no surviving record of who he actually was; given the final 300-metre pull to the summit is notoriously relentless, he was likely a man of significant stamina.