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Sgùrr Fhuaran in morning sun, its top touched by cloud above a steep green glen.
Glen Shiel and Kintail

Sgurr Fhuaran

A Munro of 1,069 metres, number 68 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Sgurr Fhuaran stands in Kintail, among the hills of the Five Sisters above Glen Shiel.

It is among the seventy highest of the 282 Munros and stands higher than any of its four nearest. Sgurr na Carnach is under a kilometre to the south, and Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe a little beyond.

From the pass of Mam Ratagan, high above Loch Duich, the Five Sisters rise over the head of the loch in what we count one of the great views of the Highlands.

Gleann Licht runs between the Five Sisters and Beinn Fhada, about five kilometres away to the north-east.

The ground
Kintail Mountain Rescue Team counts the Five Sisters of Kintail in its area, and calls that 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 NG 978 166
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, 1,069 m. Feels like −3° in the wind.

West wind to 11 mph, gusting 25
Rain, about 4 mm
Light from 7.56am to 6.17pm, ten hours

Sat 17Cloudy−3° to 4° on top · 5 mph, gusts 11
Sun 18Some cloud−3° to 4° on top · 7 mph, gusts 16
Mon 19Cloudy−5° to 5° 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, Sgurr Fhuaran, 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.

The Five Sisters of Kintail from above Loch Duich, with the stone plinth of the Ratagan viewpoint in front.

Photograph by John Griffin, 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 area takes in the Five Sisters of Kintail
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 978 166
  • 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

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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: Sgurr na Carnach, Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe, Saileag, Beinn Fhada. 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.