Scotland
Sgorr Bhan
946M
3104FT
About Sgorr Bhan
Capping the eastern end of the magnificent Beinn a' Bheithir horseshoe, this sharp quartzite peak offers a dramatic introduction to the range. Rising steeply above Ballachulish, it is most famously reached via the narrow Schoolhouse Ridge, providing a thrilling, airy scramble before connecting to the higher Munro summit of Sgorr Dhearg.
Key Statistics
Rank
41st Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Grampians
Prominence
?
47.9m
Nearest Town
Ballachulish
Geology
You are walking on the Appin Quartzite Formation. This durable rock was once ancient sand that heat and pressure transformed into the hard stone beneath your boots.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN062560
Latitude
56.6560°N
Longitude
5.1622°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic 'Sgorr Bhàn', meaning 'white peak', a reference to the pale quartzite scree and rock that covers its upper slopes and distinguishes it from the greener glens below.
- •It serves as the first major summit on the classic clockwise traverse of Beinn a' Bheithir, a mountain massif often referred to locally as 'The Dragon's Back' because of its curving, ridged profile.
- •The ascent via Schoolhouse Ridge is a celebrated Grade 1 scramble, starting near the old school building in Ballachulish; it offers remarkably direct and sustained interest for those comfortable with exposure.
- •The summit offers a spectacular vantage point over the 'narrows' of Loch Leven, looking directly across to the iconic cone of the Pap of Glencoe and the sprawling Mamore Forest beyond.
- •Despite its impressive 946-metre stature and mountain character, it is classified as a Munro Top rather than a Munro, as it lacks sufficient topographical prominence from its parent peak, Sgorr Dhearg.