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Sgorr Dhonuill seen along the ridge: a steep peak with a wall of dark crag on one side, a worn path running towards it over grass.
Glen Coe and Glen Etive

Beinn a' Bheithir - Sgorr Dhonuill

A Munro of 1,002 metres, number 133 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Sgorr Dhonuill is the lower of the two Munros on Beinn a' Bheithir, the mountain that rises just south of Ballachulish.

Its twin, Sgorr Dhearg, is less than two kilometres away to the east.

Glencoe Folk Museum gives the name as Donald's Peak, and Sgorr Dhearg as Red Peak. The mountain itself is the Peak of the Thunderbolt, or sometimes the Peak of the Dragon. The Gaelic word can mean a thunderbolt or a wild beast such as a serpent, and local folklore has a story of the Ballachulish Dragon.

Forestry and Land Scotland's Glenachulish forest lies under the north-west slopes, 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 040 555
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 4°Drizzle on the summit, 1,002 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 Dhonuill, 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.

Photographs by David Shepherd and Nina Kudryashova, 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 040 555
  • 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 Dhearg, Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Sgurr na h-Ulaidh, Beinn Sgulaird. 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.