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The boulder crest of the Càrn Mòr Dearg arête curving round to the dark face of Ben Nevis.
Ben Nevis, the Mamores and the Grey Corries

Carn Mor Dearg

A Munro of 1,220 metres, number 9 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Carn Mor Dearg is Ben Nevis's nearest neighbour, less than a kilometre and a half to the north-east, and the two are joined by the arête that carries its name.

The John Muir Trust calls that ridge "spectacular but exposed".

It is the ninth highest of the Munros. Aonach Mor, about two kilometres away on the other side, tops it by just 40 centimetres.

The summit is one of three Munro tops on the Trust's Ben Nevis estate, along with Ben Nevis itself and Aonach Beag.

Starts from
The North Face car park at Torlundy, which Forestry and Land Scotland calls the starting point for the Carn Mor Dearg Arete route up Ben Nevis. For the way, follow the route description and the map.
The arête
The John Muir Trust calls it spectacular but exposed, and says it is experienced hill walkers who go on along it to Ben Nevis. Forestry and Land Scotland calls it a long and extremely challenging route even for experienced hill walkers, to be attempted only with proper planning and equipment.
This Munro alone
Read the route description and Mountaineering Scotland's pages below before deciding on the way to this summit without the arête.
Daylight
Mountaineering Scotland publishes a member's account of a late November day here. A party of three, met on the arête 300 metres short of this summit at 2.30pm with one head torch between them, did not get back to the car park until about 11pm.
Summit
Grid reference NN 177 721
Car park
The North Face car park is signposted from the A82 at Torlundy; PH33 6SW is the nearest postcode to the turn-off. In October 2026 Forestry and Land Scotland charged £1 for up to an hour and £3 for the day, by card or RingGo, free with a Blue Badge, though another of its pages says there is no charge.
Bus
Buses between Fort William and Nevis Range or Spean Bridge can stop at Torlundy on request. Plan the journey with Traveline Scotland.
Toilets and food
There are no toilets at the car park. The nearest are in Fort William, 3 miles to the south, or at Nevis Range, 2 miles to the north.
On the hill today
−1° to 1°Rain on the summit, 1,220 m. Feels like −6° in the wind.

West wind to 18 mph, gusting 33
Rain, about 7 mm
Light from 7.53am to 6.16pm, ten hours

Sat 17Mostly clear−2° to 1° on top · 8 mph, gusts 19
Sun 18Mostly clear−5° to 2° on top · 10 mph, gusts 18
Mon 19Cloudy−7° to 4° on top · 4 mph, gusts 9

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, Càrn Mòr Dearg, Lochaber 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 C Sun, Ben Warburton and Adrian Kopczyński (LEPSZYTY), via Google

a long narrow ridge requiring scrambling, a head for heights and good navigational skillsMountaineering Scotland, of the Càrn Mòr Dearg arête
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 177 721
  • 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 Carn Mor Dearg 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: Ben Nevis, Aonach Mor, Aonach Beag, Sgurr Choinnich Mor. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are Forestry and Land Scotland's, the John Muir Trust's and Mountaineering Scotland'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.