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The round pillar on the summit of Beinn Fhada inside its low stone shelter, with hills beyond.
Glen Shiel and Kintail

Beinn Fhada

A Munro of 1,032 metres, number 99 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Beinn Fhada, also written Ben Attow, is one of the high hills of Kintail.

Gleann Licht runs between it and the Five Sisters, and Glenlicht House, a climbing club's hut, stands in the glen.

It sits just inside the hundred highest of the 282 Munros, with room around it. A' Ghlas-bheinn is about four kilometres to the north, Saileag a little further off to the south, and Sgurr Fhuaran about five kilometres to the south-west.

A piece in the Mountain Bothies Association's archive, about the old croft at Camban, calls it mighty Ben Attow and writes of its long ridge.

The ground
Kintail Mountain Rescue Team, based at Morvich, calls its whole area particularly demanding: large areas of consistently steep ground and well-defined ridges.
Under snow
There is no avalanche forecast for this hill, but that does not mean there is no risk under snow. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service's full winter forecasts for its six areas begin on 17 December 2026.
Summit
Grid reference NH 018 192
Coach and train
There is a Citylink coach stop at Shiel Bridge: Citylink's timetable shows which coaches call. The nearest railway station is Kyle of Lochalsh.
Phone signal
Kintail Mountain Rescue Team warns that mobile coverage is still poor in places: bear that in mind before you head out, and plan for it.
On the hill today
−1° to 3°Drizzle on the summit, 1,032 m. Feels like −3° in the wind.

West wind to 12 mph, gusting 26
Rain, about 4 mm
Light from 7.55am to 6.17pm, ten hours

Sat 17Cloudy−2° to 4° on top · 5 mph, gusts 13
Sun 18Cloudy−3° to 4° on top · 9 mph, gusts 18
Mon 19Cloudy−5° to 6° on top · 7 mph, gusts 17

A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: Northwest Highlands forecast, Beinn Fhada, Scottish Avalanche Information Service.

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 Kenny Mitchell and Steven Deas, via Google

It's vital to remember that the conditions up in the hills can be very different from those at the roadside, and they can change quickly.Kintail Mountain Rescue Team, whose base is at Morvich
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 NH 018 192
  • 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

Nobody has written from Beinn Fhada yet. If you were up, yours would be the first.

Tell the next person

Were you up? Three words is enough.A free account, a word for the weather and a line if you like.

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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: A' Ghlas-bheinn, Saileag, Sgurr Fhuaran, Ciste Dhubh. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are Kintail Mountain Rescue Team's, the Glenelg and Arnisdale Bus Users Group's and National Rail's; 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.