Sgurr na Banachdich [Sgurr na Banachdaich]

About Sgurr na Banachdich [Sgurr na Banachdaich]

This central hub of the Black Cuillin is often regarded as the range’s most accessible Munro. Reached via the steep Coire an Eich, its summit offers a staggering, front-row perspective of the Inaccessible Pinnacle and the jagged ridge stretching toward Sgurr Alasdair, all without the technical scrambling required on neighbouring peaks.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Gaelic 'Sgùrr na Banachdaich', which translates as the 'Peak of the Smallpox'. Rather than a historical outbreak, this likely refers to the 'pock-marked' or pitted appearance of the weathered gabbro and basalt rocks found on its upper slopes.
• •Among the notoriously difficult peaks of the Cuillin ridge, this is the only Munro that can be summited by a determined hillwalker without mandatory hands-on scrambling, provided the correct route is taken through the scree of the western corries.
• •The summit serves as an incredible grandstand for watching climbers on the Inaccessible Pinnacle; the sheer basalt fin of Sgurr Dearg sits directly across the gap, looking deceptively close in the clear Highland air.
• •As the midpoint of the Cuillin, the peak offers a unique view down into the Great Corrie and the dark waters of Loch Coruisk, framed by the surrounding peaks of Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh and Sgurr nan Gobhar.
• •Describing this as the 'easiest' Munro on the ridge is a classic piece of Cuillin relativity; it still involves nearly 1,000 metres of relentless ascent over broken rock and loose scree that would be the most demanding walk of the year in any other mountain range.