Beinn Dearg Mhor

About Beinn Dearg Mhor

Sitting prominently above the head of Loch Ainort, this is one of the standout summits of the Red Cuillin. Its distinctive rounded profile and steep, rust-coloured scree slopes offer a gentler alternative to the jagged Black Cuillin, providing a peerless grandstand view of Marsco and the Sligachan peaks.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is Scottish Gaelic for 'Big Red Mountain', a reference to the pink-tinged granite that forms the Red Hills. Unlike the jagged, dark gabbro of the nearby Black Cuillin, this granite weathers into the smooth, conical slopes and vast scree banks that define the local landscape.
• •The summit is a superb vantage point for studying the geography of Skye; on a clear day, the view extends past the nearby pyramid of Marsco to the serrated ridge of Sgùrr nan Gillean and across the Sound of Raasay to the mainland peaks of Applecross.
• •It is almost always climbed in tandem with its slightly lower twin, Beinn Dearg Bheag, connected by a high, grassy col that offers a momentary reprieve from the relentless granite rubble.
• •Local hillwalkers often prefer the Red Cuillin in winter, as the rounded slopes hold snow well and provide excellent cramponing ground compared to the technical, often icy rock traps of the neighbouring gabbro ridges.
• •Despite being a Graham, the 'Big Red' earns its name through sheer presence; the ascent from the Sligachan side involves enough shifting scree to ensure you leave with half the mountain inside your boots.