UKC

Everyone's heard of the Five Sisters; you can hardly miss them. But more than just a famously pointy backdrop to Loch Duich, their traverse is a ridge walk of the highest quality, a little bit scrambly and with a whole lot of scenery. This is the western half of the North Glenshiel Ridge, a long classic that most teams will probably want to split over two separate visits - especially at a time of year with limited daylight, or snow on the ground. The eagle-eyed may note that the route described avoids the westernmost and least appealing Sister, and might more correctly be titled Four Sisters. On the other hand the traverse also includes more attractive peaks at the eastern end which are not official siblings. At the time it's always felt to me more logical to miss out Sgurr na Moraich than climb it, a view that the well-used descent path suggests many share; it is easily added if you prefer completeness.

8.14 miles, 13.10 km, 1,400m ascent, 6:30 – 7:30 hours. Kyle of Lochalsh

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In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

It is a brilliant walk Dan as is its opposite ridge across the valley  the South Kintail Ridge. Possibly a tougher challenge. Catching the Isle of Skye bus is a great way to start the walk as you return to your car at the end of the walk.

In reply to Sean Kelly:In the past when doing the ridge on my own I've parked in Morvich and gained the Bealach an Lapain via Gleann Lichd. This gives a nice circular walk well away from the busy main road. Last time I went along the ridge I did it with some pals and had the luxury of having two cars (pic from the two car day in 2021.)

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

I've done them (and the "brothers") a couple of times west to east with a cached bike to freewheel back down Glen Shiel and this worked very well. One time we returned over Beinn Fhada but this made a rather arduous day!

The phrase "least appealing Sister" amused me. It sounds like something from a politically correct version of Cinderella.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Thanks Sean, yes it's really the best place for that sort of not-quite-scrambling ridge walking. S.Cluanie ridge equally good, better still if you add The Saddle etc. Another brilliant challenge is the Fhada-Ciste Dubh-Brothers-Sisters round. But I'm not knocking the 5 Sisters alone - it's like the perfect essence of ridge walking distilled into a glorious few km. 

Bus times weren't working out for me on Monday so I left the car at the west end and hitched a ride. It nearly didn't pay off as there was very little passing trade and the day was wasting. Thanks to the local walker with a friendly dog who stopped (hope you had a good day on the Lochy hills, if you're reading)

In reply to Joak:

That's a good ruse

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Alternatively Sgurr na Moraich is the most appealing Sister as it's so much quieter off the "Five Sisters of Munro" route, being neither a Munro or Munro Top.

Accessing the 5, the NE ridge of Fhuaran or the stalker's path up the north flank of Fhuaran from Gleann Lichd also gives some quieter walking.

In reply to Joak:

Definitely the best approach of the 3 times I’ve been along the ridge.

And since this is a climbing forum there’s a grade 1(ish) gully you can use at the end to get back down to the track.

In reply to Joak:

That is the way I've done it in the past. One of my abiding memories is the soaking wet grass on the ascent up to the Bealach an Lapain. I used the same ascent for an anti-clockwise round of Saileag, Sgurr a'Bhealaich Dheirg, Aonach Meadhoin and Ciste Dubh. 

In reply to Harry Jarvis:

One of my abiding "cold sweat" memories of Gleann Lichd was having to trott past a big, black, menacing looking bull as it stood guard over it's harem. Sixty odd years ago when I was a wee boy my aunt Bess had a caravan in a field near Lochearnhead. I was sat on the thrown of the outside chemical cludgie when an inquisitive cow came over, gave the rickety wooden convenience a wee nudge at let out a loud MOO....the mental scars have been slow to heal and have left me with a wee case of Coo-phobia. 🙂

In reply to Robert Durran:

Like you Robert I've traversed them a couple of times and once met a lady who thought she was on Beinn Fhada when on we were on the Spaniard's Peak, not a Munro then I believe. She had walked up the valley from Morvich but somehow turned right instead of left. I continue to be amazed by the numbers of walkers I've encountered who are not even on the right mountain!

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Brings back memories of a trip with Glasgow University mountaineering club in winter many years ago, and abandoning the ridge before Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe as it was in thigh deep snow in places. We spent the afternoon in a cafe somewhere around Invershiel. I can’t even remember how we got back to the hut. Would have been a long walk.

then actually did them a few years later. Took longer than expected, and we were still coming down in the dark. No head torches, so my brother went ahead in the last of the light to turn the car headlights on to help guide us. And he turned the radio on too, so we were guided by the sounds of Radio Scotland’s “Take the Floor” echoing across the valley in the dark. A somewhat surreal end to a memorable day out, and a great route.