Cruachan Beag

About Cruachan Beag

Rising steeply above the Sligachan Glen, this shapely Red Cuillin outlier offers a concentrated dose of Skye’s characteristic scree and granite. Often overshadowed by its loftier neighbor Glamaig, it provides an exceptional vantage point for studying the jagged profile of the Black Cuillin across the glen and the Sound of Raasay.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic 'Cruachan,' meaning a small conical hill or stack, and 'Beag,' meaning small.
• •It occupies a prominent position at the western end of the Red Cuillin, connected to the higher summit of Glamaig by the high, narrow pass of Bealach na Sgùrr.
• •The summit provides an 'eye-level' perspective of the Great Marsco to the south and a direct, unhindered view of the Sgùrr nan Gillean pinnacles across the Sligachan River.
• •Unlike the dark, jagged gabbro of the Black Cuillin, this hill is formed of pinkish granite, which weathers into smoother, steeper slopes covered in deep, shifting scree.
• •Despite being classified as a Tump, its relentless gradient means it frequently humbles walkers who assume its 'little' designation translates to an effortless ascent.