Glen Sligachan – Between the Black Cuillin and the Red
About 3.7 miles on foot.
Glen Sligachan is the long, empty glen that runs south from Sligachan with the Black Cuillin on one side and the Red Cuillin on the other.
There's no road down it, only a path, and you don't have to go far along it to feel a long way from anywhere. Walk in as far as the first big burn, or stream, and back, and you'll have had a real taste of it in a couple of hours.
- Time
- About two hours: roughly 6 km there and back to the Allt na Measarroch, the first big burn, which Walkhighlands puts 3 km up the glen.
- The path
- A clear hill path, stony and boggy in places.
- Where to start
- The small free car park beside the A87 at Sligachan's old bridge, across the river from the hotel. A barrier keeps out vans over 2.1 metres.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. From November to January set off by 1pm. Seumas' Bar at the Sligachan Hotel usually shuts for the winter at the end of October.
- Dogs
- Under close control.
- Children
- A clear path, but open hill ground with no shelter: turn round at the first big burn.
- Toilets
- None at the car park. The Sligachan Hotel's are for its customers.
- Before you set out
- A clear path, stony and boggy in places. Beyond the first burn it runs on to Camasunary and Elgol, 18 km in all, with no shelter and no short way out.
The walk
Park in the small free car park beside the A87 at Sligachan's old bridge, across the river from the hotel, by the statue of the climbers Collie and Mackenzie. A barrier keeps out vans over 2.1 metres. The path up Glen Sligachan starts here and runs south for miles between the two Cuillin ranges, with no road down the glen at all. On your right are the Black Cuillin, dark and jagged, with Sgùrr nan Gillean standing over the start. On your left are the Red Cuillin, rounded hills of granite that the ice wore into domes. The glen is the line between them, and you can see the difference in the skyline on either hand.
The John Muir Trust looks after the ground east of the path and keeps the paths here in repair. It's a clear path, stony and boggy in places. About 3 km in, by Walkhighlands' measure, it comes to the Allt na Measarroch, the first big burn, which is crossed on large stones. That makes a natural place to turn round: about 6 km there and back, so allow two hours. Beyond the burn the path goes on for hours to Camasunary and Elgol, 18 km from Sligachan, with no shelter on the way and no short way out. Don't drift on without a full day and the kit for it.
There's so much iron in the Black Cuillin's rock that a compass can't always be trusted near it. Keep dogs under close control. There are no public toilets at the car park. Seumas' Bar at the Sligachan Hotel, across the river, usually shuts for the winter at the end of October, so ring the hotel on 01478 650204 before counting on it. From November to January, set off by 1pm.
If it rains
There's no shelter anywhere in the glen and the path is boggy after rain, so this is a walk for a dry day. In low cloud the Cuillin disappear, and they are the whole point.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
For further reading, before you go.