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A sheer, tiered sandstone top of Beinn Alligin in shadow, seen across a gap from higher on the mountain, with the loch far below.
Torridon

Beinn Alligin - Tom na Gruagaich

A Munro of 922 metres, number 268 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Tom na Gruagaich, 922 metres, is the lower of Beinn Alligin's two Munros, above the north side of Loch Torridon.

Mountaineering Scotland gives its name as hill of the maiden.

The same body gives Beinn Alligin as the Mountain of Beauty, or the Jewelled Mountain. The rescue team here counts it, with Liathach and Beinn Eighe, as the Torridon triptych.

Starts from
The car park beside the stone bridge over the Abhainn Coire Mhic Nobuil, almost 3 miles from Torridon village on the narrow road towards Inveralligin.
How far
The Scottish Mountaineering Club's guidebook gives the whole round of Beinn Alligin as 10.5 km, with 1,190 metres of climbing, and 7 to 8 hours. Its text gives other figures for the same round, so read it through.
Scrambling
The Horns of Alligin, further round the mountain, are where the guidebook describes exposed scrambling. Mountaineering Scotland warns that scrambling grades are set for dry summer conditions, and that in anything less than ideal the ground is likely to become much more difficult and dangerous.
Under snow
The Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecasts for Torridon. Its description of the area names Beinn Eighe and Liathach but not Beinn Alligin, so check its map for what is covered. Full forecasting begins on 17 December 2026.
Stalking
Stalking can take place even where no notice is posted, so follow any signs.
Summit
Grid reference NG 859 601
Bus and train
The community's local place plan of 2024 calls public transport here extremely limited: a bus between Strathcarron and Torridon on some days of the week, and the nearest station at Achnasheen. Check Traveline Scotland before counting on the bus.
Toilets and food
Fasaig and Kinlochewe both have a village shop and public toilets kept by the community, and Kinlochewe has a petrol station.
On the hill today

A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: The Northwest Highlands forecast, Tom na Gruagaich, Northwest Highlands mountain forecast, Torridon 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 John Irvine and Steve Cass, via Google

Given the terrain it is not surprising that the rescue situations we are faced with can be amongst the most technically demanding to be encountered in Scotland.Torridon Mountain Rescue Team, whose ground takes in Beinn Alligin, Liathach and Beinn Eighe
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 NG 859 601
  • 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

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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 Alligin - Sgurr Mor, Liathach - Mullach an Rathain, Liathach - Spidean a' Choire Leith, Beinn Eighe - Ruadh-stac Mor. Checked on 10 October 2026. The start and the round's figures are the Scottish Mountaineering Club's, as Mountaineering Scotland gives them; the other facts are Mountaineering Scotland's, the Torridon Mountain Rescue Team's and the community's local place plan of 2024; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's, the Met Office's and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service'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.