Beinn Stumanadh

Rising above the eastern shores of Loch Loyal in the far north of Sutherland, this bulky Marilyn offers a rugged, often pathless ascent. While overshadowed by its elegant neighbour Ben Loyal, it provides a quiet, wilder alternative with a commanding perspective over the intricate coastline of the Kyle of Tongue.

• •Derived from the Scottish Gaelic Beinn Stumanadh, the name translates roughly as 'Hill of the Hump' or 'Ridge Hill,' a fitting description for its broad, swelling profile when viewed from the surrounding Sutherland moors.
• •Its position makes it the premier grandstand for viewing the dramatic granite tors of Ben Loyal to the west. From the summit, you can trace the entire jagged silhouette of Loyal's peaks—An Caisteal, Sgùrr Chaonasaid, and Sgùrr a' Cheathaich—rising abruptly from the peat bogs.
• •To the north, the view opens out across the sands and islands of the Kyle of Tongue toward the Atlantic, while the distant, isolated shapes of Ben Hope and Foinaven mark the western horizon.
• •Unlike the popular paths found on nearby peaks, a ascent here usually involves navigating trackless heather and boggy terrain, characteristic of the remote 'Flow Country' fringes that define this corner of the Highlands.
• •It is a hill for those who find Ben Loyal far too crowded and the prospect of dry feet far too luxurious for a day in Sutherland.