Speicein nan Garbh-choireachan

Rising as a dramatic shark-fin of Torridonian sandstone, this secondary peak on the Ben Mor Coigach ridge offers a thrilling sense of exposure. Its name translates as the ‘pinnacle of the rough corries,’ a fitting description for the tiered, craggy slopes that drop steeply towards the Atlantic and the scattered Summer Isles.

• •The name is Gaelic, where 'Speicein' denotes a small spike or pinnacle. It refers to the jagged, narrow character of this section of the ridge compared to the broader plateau of the main summit of Ben Mor Coigach.
• •This peak is a vital waypoint on the classic ridge traverse above Loch Broom, usually reached after summiting the main peak and continuing northwest towards the outlier of Sgùrr nan Fhad.
• •The summit provides an exceptional perspective of the Summer Isles archipelago, particularly Tanera Mòr, which sits directly below the hill’s western flanks in the mouth of the loch.
• •Looking north, the view features the 'inselbergs' of Assynt—isolated sandstone giants like Suilven, Canisp, and Stac Pollaidh rising from a fragmented landscape of ancient Lewisian Gneiss.
• •The descent toward Culnacraig is notoriously steep; it is one of the few places in the Highlands where you might find yourself wishing for a shorter nose to avoid bumping it on the slope in front of you.