Beinn Eighe - Ruadh-stac Mor

About Beinn Eighe - Ruadh-stac Mor

Rising above the shattered quartzite screes of Torridon, this is the highest point of the vast Beinn Eighe massif. Usually reached via the dramatic Triple Buttress of Coire Mhic Fhearchair, the summit offers a rugged, lunar atmosphere with expansive views over the Fisherfield Forest and the tiered ramparts of Liathach.

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Did You Know?

• •Ruadh-stac Mòr translates from Scottish Gaelic as the 'Great Red Stack'. While the Beinn Eighe massif is famous for its white appearance, this specific peak sits where the underlying Torridonian sandstone is more prominent, giving the summit rocks a distinct reddish hue compared to the surrounding quartzite.
• •The mountain's upper reaches are capped with Cambrian basal quartzite. This rock is so bright and reflective that the vast scree slopes are frequently mistaken for patches of snow by visitors in the glen, even during the height of a Scottish summer.
• •In 1951, Beinn Eighe was designated as Britain’s first National Nature Reserve. While originally established to protect the ancient fragments of Caledonian pinewood on the lower slopes, the reserve covers the entire mountain to protect its rare arctic-alpine plant communities.
• •The most popular approach involves a pilgrimage to Coire Mhic Fhearchair, widely considered one of the most spectacular corries in the UK. From the summit cairn, walkers are rewarded with a clear look at the 'Great Wilderness' to the north and the jagged silhouette of Slioch across Loch Maree.
• •Remnants of a 1951 Lancaster bomber crash remain in the high corrie below the summit. The complexity of the recovery mission in such technical terrain was a pivotal moment in the history of mountain rescue, leading to improved training and equipment for recovery teams in the Highlands.
• •Navigating the slopes of the 'Great Red Stack' provides a practical lesson in geology; the quartzite scree is so mobile that for every three steps you take upward, the mountain usually attempts to negotiate you one step back down.