Beinn nam Beathrach

Rising above the southern shores of Loch Scridain on the Isle of Mull, this rugged Marilyn offers a quieter alternative to the island’s famous Munro. The terrain is classic Inner Hebridean moorland, requiring a determined trek through heather and bog to reach a summit ridge with commanding views over the Ross of Mull.

• •The name translates from Gaelic as the 'Hill of the Serpents' or 'Hill of the Monsters'. While 'beathir' often refers to a mythical lightning-serpent in folklore, in a landscape context it likely acknowledges the adders that frequent the sun-warmed rocky outcrops of the southern slopes.
• •The summit provides an exceptional perspective on Ben More to the north; from here, the Munro’s massive scale is fully apparent, rising steeply from the floor of Glen More across the waters of Loch Scridain.
• •Looking west, the view extends along the length of the Ross of Mull toward the white sands of Iona, with the distinctive flat-topped profiles of the Treshnish Isles, including the 'Dutchman’s Cap', visible on the Atlantic horizon.
• •Ascents often begin near the ruins of Dererach, a cleared settlement that stands as a silent witness to the era before sheep farming and deer stalking became the primary uses of these hillsides.
• •At 582 metres, the hill is just 28 metres short of becoming a Corbett, a shortfall that guarantees a level of solitude you will never find on its more famous neighbours.