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Beinn a' Bheithir seen from the east: its pointed eastern peak above forest, with Ballachulish on the shore of Loch Leven below and the loch running out to the bridge.
Glen Coe and Glen Etive

Beinn a' Bheithir - Sgorr Dhearg

A Munro of 1,024 metres, number 107 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Beinn a' Bheithir is the mountain that rises just south of Ballachulish, and Sgorr Dhearg is the higher of its two Munros.

Its twin, Sgorr Dhonuill, is less than two kilometres away to the west.

The names are worth knowing. Glencoe Folk Museum gives the mountain as the Peak of the Thunderbolt, or sometimes the Peak of the Dragon, because the Gaelic word beithir can mean either a thunderbolt or a wild beast such as a serpent, and local folklore has a story about the Ballachulish Dragon. Sgorr Dhearg itself is the Red Peak, and its neighbour is Donald's Peak.

Glenachulish forest, kept by Forestry and Land Scotland, lies at the mountain's foot inside a National Scenic Area.

The way up
Take the start and the way up from a route description and the map before you go.
The ground
Forestry and Land Scotland looks after Glenachulish forest at the foot of the mountain, a key way in to the nearby Munros.
Summit
Grid reference NN 056 558
Parking
A Forestry and Land Scotland notice of June 2022, now old, named two places to park: the informal parking area at St Johns, and the Gleann a Chaolais climbers' car park at NN 0469 5886.
Bus
Shiel Buses' routes 44 and 144 between Fort William and Kinlochleven stop at Ballachulish Square.
On the hill today
1° to 3°Drizzle on the summit, 1,024 m. Feels like −4° in the wind.

West wind to 11 mph, gusting 22
Rain, about 5 mm
Light from 7.54am to 6.17pm, ten hours

Sat 17Mostly clear−3° to 3° on top · 5 mph, gusts 13
Sun 18Mostly clear−1° to 4° on top · 10 mph, gusts 20
Mon 19Cloudy−3° to 5° on top · 5 mph, gusts 13

A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: West Highlands forecast, Sgorr Dhearg, Glencoe avalanche forecast.

October2026

MTWTFSS

Going another day?

Choose the day you mean to climb.Near or far: the light you will have, and what the summit is likely to be doing.

Ballachulish and Loch Leven from the hillside above the village, with a pointed peak across the water under low cloud.

Photographs by Craig Cherrie and David Shepherd, via Google

Before you go

Carry

  • A paper map and a compass, and the skill to use them
  • Waterproofs, warm layers, hat and gloves
  • Food and drink
  • A head torch, a whistle and a first aid kit
  • A survival bag
  • Boots with a good grip

Under snow and ice this is a different day, with short light and the risk of avalanche. It needs an ice axe, crampons, winter boots and the skill to use them.

If something goes wrong

  • Dial 999, ask for the police, then mountain rescue
  • Give a six-figure grid reference: the summit is NN 056 558
  • Say how many are hurt, how many are with you, and your number
  • Register to text 999 before the day: text the word register to 999

The summit is optional. Turning back is the right decision whenever the cloud, the wind or the light say so.

How to call for help in the hills · Safety and skills for the hills · ThinkWINTER

From our readers

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From the magazine
Read more elsewhere

For the route itself, take the map and read these.

Sleep and eat at its foot

Next along: Beinn a' Bheithir - Sgorr Dhonuill, Sgurr na h-Ulaidh, Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Aonach Eagach - Sgorr nam Fiannaidh. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are Forestry and Land Scotland's, Mountaineering Scotland's and Shiel Buses'; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's, the Met Office's and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service's; the names are the Glencoe Folk Museum's. Height and position from The Database of British and Irish Hills, v18.3, adapted, CC BY 4.0. This page is not a route description and does not replace a map.