Beinn Alligin will always remain one of my favourite hikes. A set of two Munros, Sgùrr Mòr and Tom na Gruagaich, they are located in the beautiful Torridon area of North West Scotland. The Torridon landscape is unlike any other with enchanting wilderness and high ridging mountains incomparable to other parts of Scotland. Beinn Alligin’s literal translation from Gaelic is beautiful mountain so the name itself hints at what to expect from this hike.

Other mountains in the area include the famous Beinn Eighe boasting some of the most beautiful views out of all the 282 Munros. Liathach, another classic, is known for its vertical deathly ridge and is not a climb for the faint hearted making Torridon the provider of some of the most beautiful but toughest Munro challenges to be had. 

I climbed Beinn Alligan on a warm day in October. My friend, J, and a couple of other friends, saw a gap in the weather and decided that it was time to tackle our first Torridon hill. As Beinn Alligan is known for its ridgyness and is a tough climb that begins from almost sea-level, we were keen to choose a day with clear views and one that promised low winds even at high altitude.

We set off early in the morning, rising with the sun that was already promising stunning views. Despite being late in the year, the weather was still warm and there was a certain humidity in the air. I had recently invested in some second-hand Scarpas (in hindsight, these were not a good investment and caused a lot of pain on upcoming Munros – see Loch Lochy) and I was excited to try them out. 

We pulled into the car park around 10am and were well on our way within the hour. The ascent of Ben Alligan begins steadily and within minutes you have great views of the shimmering Abhainn Coire Mhic Nobuil. We took the climb at our own pace, carefully ascending and placing one foot in front of the other. Before long we had reached the first cairn, standing at 3235 ft, with amazing views of the upcoming Sgùrr Mòr. The ridge line towards the second Munro admittedly did look intimidating, but the lack of wind, our sunny spirits, and the fact that the views were to die for made anything seem possible. 

As we walked along this ridge (which did have a few hairy patches) we saw a Brocken Spectre. I’m not quite sure of the science behind this natural phenomenon, but in essence it is a halo shape with a shadowed figure standing within. This was the first time I had ever seen one and it was rather spiritual – as if a Jesus like figure with a halo of glory was standing beckoning me onwards. It was magical.

We gained ground to the next Munro which was a bit more jagged and demanded careful manoeuvres. I must admit, a year later I came across a couple who had attempted to do Beinn Alligan in February during a snowstorm. They didn’t even make the first 100 metres and I can see why. I would not like to walk this ridge line in worse conditions where my footing was compromised and I do urge caution when tackling this ridge, particularly with high winds. 

After several hours, my boots were beginning to rub a little as we clambered on. We stopped for lunch with beautiful views looking over the Torridon hills around 1pm. You could see Liathach in the distance and I was filled with a little envy that we had not tackled that beast of a mountain on this glorious day. It’s a trait I hate in myself, but I get FOMO of the other Munros I could be climbing, even when I am currently up one. However, there was no need for FOMO on this hike as the views on Beinn Alligan will remain in my mind forever. This climb was exactly how I imagine Munro climbing should be…beautiful and breathtaking. 

We descended swiftly and the walk back to the car was long, but warm. I can’t remember if we swam or not…I have a feeling I did a wild-swim in one of the streams on our way down, but I can’t be a 100% sure. This is why you should RECORD YOUR MUNROS, even if it’s just to remember what you did and experienced along the way. If your memory is anything like mine, a documentation of each hike will be worth it in the long run.

But, there you have it…my first Munros in the Torridon area were spectacular. I returned later to conquer Beinn Eighe in the snow…which is a story for another day.

Onwards and upwards!

Róise