Sron Bealach Beithe

About Sron Bealach Beithe

This high, craggy nose of Ben Alder serves as the formidable gatekeeper to the Bealach Beithe. While technically a subsidiary top, its 1104m elevation and remote Lochaber setting offer a sense of isolation that makes a Saturday afternoon trip to the supermarket feel like a crowded mosh pit.

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Did You Know?

• •Its name translates from Gaelic as the 'Nose of the Pass of the Birch,' which is slightly optimistic given that you are well above the tree line and unlikely to see a twig, let alone a forest.
• •The peak overlooks the dark, brooding waters of Loch a' Bhealaich Bheithe, one of the highest significant bodies of water in the Highlands, sitting at an impressive 700 meters above sea level.
• •The surrounding massif is steeped in Jacobite legend; 'Cluny's Cage,' the famous hideout of Bonnie Prince Charlie after the Battle of Culloden, is located on the southern flanks of the parent mountain, Ben Alder.
• •The cliffs dropping away from the summit are composed of ancient Moine metamorphic rocks, offering some of the most rugged and intimidating scenery for those who enjoy staring directly into the abyss.
• •The approach from the nearest road is so famously long that you’ll likely experience all four seasons, three midlife crises, and start hallucinating a Starbucks behind every boulder before you even begin the actual ascent.