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Beinn Sgritheall rising above the houses and shingle shore of Arnisdale on Loch Hourn, with gorse in flower.
Glen Shiel and Kintail

Beinn Sgritheall

A Munro of 974 metres, number 181 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Beinn Sgritheall stands on the mainland above Arnisdale, on the north side of Loch Hourn, across the loch from Knoydart.

It stands apart from the Munros of Kintail, reached over the Mam Ratagan road from Shiel Bridge. The Glenelg ferry's own site calls it Arnisdale's "very own local munro".

Below the hill
Arnisdale, on Loch Hourn, lies below the hill. Take the way up from a route description and the map.
Escape routes
Glenelg Mountain Rescue covers the whole of the Glenelg and Arnisdale peninsula up to Kinloch Hourn, and part of Knoydart. Before you go, know your escape routes and the danger spots, such as watercourses and ridges, and if turning back is the sensible thing to do, turn back.
Phone signal
Do not rely on a mobile phone, Glenelg Mountain Rescue warns: in many parts of the Glenelg area reception is poor or there is none.
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 NG 835 126.
The road
From the A87 at Shiel Bridge the road climbs over the Mam Ratagan to Glenelg and goes on to Arnisdale. Much of the pass is single track, and the Glenelg ferry warns that the bends sharpen and the gradient steepens: a serious challenge for heavy vehicles.
Taxi from the coach
The Glenelg and Arnisdale Bus Users Group sells vouchers for a subsidised taxi between the Citylink coach stop at Shiel Bridge and Glenelg, Arnisdale or Corran, seven days a week. In 2026 a journey cost £5 for each passenger. Book the taxi at least 24 hours ahead, and note the group's warning that a voucher does not guarantee travel.
Train
The nearest railway station is Kyle of Lochalsh, and National Rail shows no onward service from there to Glenelg.
On the hill today
1° to 3°Rain on the summit, 974 m. Feels like −3° in the wind.

North-west wind to 13 mph, gusting 27
Rain, about 4 mm
Light from 7.57am to 6.18pm, ten hours

Sat 17Some cloud−2° to 4° on top · 8 mph, gusts 17
Sun 18Some cloud−3° to 4° on top · 9 mph, gusts 17
Mon 19Fog−5° to 7° on top · 4 mph, gusts 11

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 Sgritheall, 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 John Malcolm, Milan Boháč and John Irvine, via Google

When walking on the hills, give yourself ample time to get back before darkness falls.Glenelg Mountain Rescue, whose area takes in Arnisdale
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 835 126
  • 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: Ladhar Bheinn, The Saddle, Sgurr na Sgine, Luinne Bheinn. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are Glenelg Mountain Rescue's, the Glenelg and Arnisdale Bus Users Group's, the Glenelg ferry'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.