At One with the Mountains - An interview with Nick Gardner
Issue 6: Nick Gardner and his wife Janet were living an idyllic life on a croft…
Glen Shiel and Kintail
Ciste Dhubh
A Munro of 981 metres, number 169 of the 282.
The hill
Ciste Dhubh stands in the hills between Loch Duich and Cannich.
Aonach Meadhoin is to the south-west and Mullach Fraoch-choire to the east, each a little over three kilometres away, and A' Chraileag, higher than all of them, is to the south-east.
Close by is Camban, a Mountain Bothies Association bothy on the National Trust for Scotland's West Affric Estate. It has two large rooms with sleeping platforms, and is about two kilometres from the summit in a straight line.
- The ground
- Scottish Mountain Rescue describes the country of the Kintail team, whose core area is Glen Shiel, as particularly demanding: large remote areas, consistently steep ground and well-defined ridges.
- A bothy in these hills
- The Mountain Bothies Association keeps Camban bothy, at grid reference NH 053 184 on the National Trust for Scotland's West Affric Estate. It has two large rooms with sleeping platforms for 8 upwards and a multi-fuel stove, but fuel is scarce.
- 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 062 166
- Train
- There is a railway station at 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
−2° to 4°Mostly clear on the summit, 981 m. Feels like −5° in the wind.
South-west wind to 4 mph, gusting 12
Dry, or nearly
Light from 7.57am to 6.14pm, ten hours
Sun 18Cloudy−2° to 4° on top · 8 mph, gusts 18
Mon 19Cloudy−3° to 6° on top · 6 mph, gusts 13
Tue 20Rain1° to 5° on top · 10 mph, gusts 19
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, Ciste Dhubh, 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 Irvine, Martin Perry and Łukasz “BAG THIS WAY” Borkowski, 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 in Glenshiel
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 062 166
- 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 Ciste Dhubh 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.
Read more elsewhere
For the route itself, take the map and read these.
- Ciste Dhubh on WalkhighlandsRoute descriptions with maps, for the way to the summitwalkhighlands.co.ukThe route↗
- Camban on the Mountain Bothies Association's pagesThe Mountain Bothies Association's page for Camban bothymountainbothies.org.ukThe bothy↗
- Kintail Mountain Rescue Team on mountain safetyThe rescue team on conditions and phone signal in its hillskintailmrt.org.ukThe rescue team↗
- The area map of the mountain forecastsWhich mountain forecast covers which hillsmwis.org.ukThe weather areas↗
- Northwest Highlands forecastThe Mountain Weather Information Service's forecast, three days ahead and written by forecasters, for the area north from Knoydart in the west and the Great Glen in the east. Its area map shows which forecast covers a hillmwis.org.ukMountain weather↗
- Ciste DhubhThe Met Office's forecast for the summit itself: a computer model for one point, not a report from the hillweather.metoffice.gov.ukSummit forecast↗
- Scottish Avalanche Information ServiceThere is no avalanche forecast for this hill, but snow can bring the risk all the same. Full winter forecasts begin on 17 December 2026, sooner in North Cairngorm and Lochaber if winter comes earlysais.gov.ukAvalanche↗
Next along: Aonach Meadhoin, Mullach Fraoch-choire, Sgurr a' Bhealaich Dheirg, A' Chraileag. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are Scottish Mountain Rescue's, Kintail Mountain Rescue Team's, the Mountain Bothies Association'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.