Inaccessible Pinnacle

The Inaccessible Pinnacle, at 986 metres — universally known as the "In Pinn" — is notoriously the most difficult of all 282 Munros, a narrow fin of rock rising from the summit of Sgùrr Dearg in the heart of Skye's Black Cuillin, requiring genuine rock-climbing skills, a rope, harness, and an abseil to complete. It remains the only mountain summit in the British Isles that demands technical climbing ability to reach.

The route starts from parking opposite the Glen Brittle Memorial Hut. A path, extensively improved in recent years with drainage and consolidated surfacing, crosses grassy moorland past the spectacular Eas Mòr waterfall before climbing steadily towards Sgùrr Dearg's western ridge — some easy scrambling is required, though nothing demands real exposure until higher up, where a narrow, increasingly steep and exposed section separates walkers from the summit of Sgùrr Dearg itself. From here, the Inaccessible Pinnacle looms directly ahead — a narrow blade of rock overtopping Sgùrr Dearg's main summit by only 8 metres, yet ending the Munro ambitions of countless hillwalkers who lack the necessary rock-climbing experience.

The Pinnacle offers two recognised routes: the West Ridge, graded Difficult or Very Difficult, involving two 30-metre rope pitches from its southern end; and the longer East Ridge, graded only Moderate but sensationally exposed, described by Victorian climbers as barely a foot wide "with an overhanging and infinite drop on one side, and steeper and further on the other." The first ascent was made in 1880 by the Pilkington brothers, two of the leading mountaineers of their era. Most parties climb the East Ridge and descend via a roughly 20-metre abseil down the steeper West Ridge side.

For those without rock-climbing skills, hiring an experienced Skye-based mountain guide is the standard and strongly recommended approach — several local guiding companies specialise in leading clients up this single peak.

The round trip from Glen Brittle taking in Sgùrr Dearg and the Pinnacle is typically six to eight hours including the technical climbing; the wider Cuillin Ridge, of which this forms a part, is regarded as one of Britain's greatest mountaineering challenges in its full traverse.

This is unambiguously a serious mountaineering undertaking requiring rope, harness, appropriate rack, and abseiling competence — attempting the Pinnacle without proper equipment, experience, or a qualified guide would be extremely dangerous, and this caution cannot be overstated given the sheer, sustained exposure on both approach routes.

Parking opposite the Glen Brittle Memorial Hut is free; there is no public transport to the start.