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…
Ullapool, Ben Wyvis and the far north
Seana Bhraigh
A Munro of 926 metres, number 261 of the 282.
Photograph by amanda Nikolic, via Google
The hill
Seana Bhraigh stands in the hills between Loch Broom and Strath Oykel.
East Rhidorroch Estate, near Ullapool, counts it among the most remote Munros in the region, and describes a glen of waterfalls, woodland and lochs, with a bothy on the estate.
The other Munros keep their distance. The nearest, Eididh nan Clach Geala, is more than four kilometres to the south-west, and Beinn Dearg is about seven kilometres to the south.
- Phone signal
- East Rhidorroch Estate tells its guests there is no mobile phone reception in the glen once you have left Ullapool.
- Dogs
- Keep dogs in sight on the hill: the estate warns they could chase the deer or sheep.
- Stalking
- East Rhidorroch Estate hunts stags only from the end of September until 20 October, during the rut.
- Under snow
- There is no avalanche forecast for this hill, but that does not mean there is no risk here under snow. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service's full winter forecasts for its six areas begin on 17 December 2026.
- Summit
- Grid reference NH 281 878
- The East Rhidorroch glen road
- A private track. No vehicle may use it without the estate's permission unless you are renting one of its places to stay. Park at the quarry, and you are welcome to walk or bike.
- Knockdamph bothy
- The Mountain Bothies Association's bothy here, owned by East Rhidorroch Estate, is not available during stag stalking, from 20 September to 20 October. There is no fuel there. Never plan a day that depends on a bothy.
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, Met Office Northwest Highlands forecast, Seana Bhraigh, 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.
There is No mobile phone reception in the glen once you have left Ullapool.East Rhidorroch Estate, on its page for guests of its lodge in the glen
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 281 878
- 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 Seana Bhraigh 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.
- Seana Bhraigh on WalkhighlandsThe full route with a map: the ways in, how long they are and what they ask of youwalkhighlands.co.ukThe route↗
- East Rhidorroch: questions and answersThe estate's answers for guests of its lodge: the glen road, where to park and phone receptionrhidorrochlodge.co.ukThe estate↗
- KnockdamphWhen the bothy is not availablemountainbothies.org.ukThe bothy↗
- Deer stalking, from Mountaineering ScotlandWhen stags and hinds are stalked, and how to check before you gomountaineering.scotStalking↗
- ThinkWINTERMountaineering Scotland on the hills under snowmountaineering.scotWinter↗
- The Northwest Highlands forecastThree days of mountain weather for the areas north from Knoydart in the west and the Great Glen towards the east, written by forecasters. Its area map shows the ground it coversmwis.org.ukMountain weather↗
- Met Office Northwest Highlands forecastThe Met Office's mountain forecast for the area, the one its own summit page for this hill links toweather.metoffice.gov.ukMountain weather↗
- Seana BhraighThe Met Office's forecast for the summit itself: a 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 that does not mean there is no risk here under snow. Full winter forecasts begin on 17 December 2026, sooner in North Cairngorm and Lochaber if winter comes earlysais.gov.ukAvalanche↗
Next along: Eididh nan Clach Geala, Meall nan Ceapraichean, Cona' Mheall, Beinn Dearg. Checked on 10 October 2026. The facts on this page are East Rhidorroch Estate's, the Mountain Bothies Association'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.