Maol Chean-dearg

About Maol Chean-dearg

Sitting in the wild gap between Torridon and Strathcarron, this Munro is a formidable dome of red Torridonian sandstone capped with shattered quartzite. Its distinctive 'bald red head' offers a rugged, boulder-strewn ascent and commanding views across the Coulin Forest toward the jagged silhouettes of Liathach and the Applecross hills.

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Did You Know?

• •The name translates from Scottish Gaelic as "bald red head," a literal description of the summit dome where layers of ancient Torridonian sandstone are exposed, free from vegetation and littered with rust-coloured boulders.
• •Geologically, the mountain displays the classic "layer-cake" effect of the North West Highlands, with lower slopes of sandstone capped by white Cambrian quartzite, which can make the summit appear snow-covered even in midsummer.
• •The ascent from the south passes the Coire Fionnaraich bothy, a sturdy stone shelter that serves as a vital staging point for walkers entering the remote deer forests of the Coulin estate.
• •From the summit cairn, the view north is dominated by the near-vertical terraced cliffs of Liathach and the white scree-shrouded peaks of Beinn Eighe, providing an exceptional perspective of the Torridon giants.
• •It is frequently confused with its namesake, Maol Chinn-dearg; should you find yourself on a narrow ridge in Glen Shiel rather than a sandstone dome in Wester Ross, you have overshot your destination by some thirty miles.