Get Lost Mountaineering

Sgurr an Utha from near Glenfinnan

Start/Finish

Layby just after bridge over the Allt Feith a’ Chatha about 2 km W of where the A830 road crosses the railway just to the W of Glenfinnan.

Distance/Time

10 km      Approx 5 hours

Peaks

Fraoch-bheinn, 790 m, NM 894 838.

Sgurr an Utha, 796 m, NM 885 839. OS sheet 40.

Introduction

Much of the walking is pathless on grassy slopes with many outcrops providing scrambling opportunities if wished. Excellent views in all directions including the Corryhully mountains, Loch Shiel mountains, Rois-bheinn range and Ben Nevis not to mention the seascapes and islands including Eigg, Rum and Skye.

Route

(1) Walk E back along the A830 for about 300 m and take the track on the N side of the road. A high locked gate is soon reached but it is easy for slim walkers to slip through it. Continue up the track which goes through a small section of forest which is not shown on the 1989 map. Just before a flat wooden bridge over the Allt Feith a’ Chatha, the track swings right and climbs roughly NE above the Allt an Utha. Follow the track, steep in places, to its end then head roughly NE up an ill-defined “ridge” to reach the small cairn on the summit of Fraoch-bheinn, 790 m. This would be difficult to locate in poor visibility.

(2) Descend similar ground roughly W to reach a shallow grassy bealach then ascend (faint path) the fairly well defined E ridge to reach the medium summit cairn of Sgurr an Utha, 796 m, which is perched on a rocky outcrop. There is a good view down Loch Beoraid from here.

(3) Retrace the outward route.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 30^th May, 1997 and 20^th October, 2010.

(b) A more direct descent would be to go SW from the summit of Sgurr an Utha to reach the Allt an Utha and thence the outward route.

(c) In poor visibility, the Allt an Utha could be followed up to below the bealach between Sgurr an Utha and Fraoch-bheinn or the SW ridge of Sgurr an Utha could be climbed, however, there is little point in climbing this mountain on such a day (unless for navigation practice) as the views are so good in clear weather.