Càrn Sgulain

Càrn Sgulain, at 920 metres, is the least distinguished of the three Monadhliath Munros above Newtonmore, often ranked among the least visited summits on the whole list — but the long trek across the plateau connecting it to its neighbours gives a genuine feeling of great space in favourable weather.

The route starts from the end of the minor road up Glen Banchor, from Newtonmore — an attractive, surprisingly wild little glen given its proximity to the town. A track heads up the glen, crossing a bridge over the Allt a' Chaorainn and passing a plantation and the site of a deserted township, before climbing onto the Monadhliath plateau, most commonly via the first Munro of the day, Càrn Dearg, which carries more of a feeling of remoteness than its neighbours despite the overall undistinguished character of these hills. From Càrn Dearg, finding the route across the plateau to Càrn Sgulain would be genuinely difficult in bad visibility, but a line of old metal fence posts offers reliable guidance. There is little to detain walkers on Càrn Sgulain's summit itself, marked by either a small cairn or a slightly larger one a short distance further on — precise identification of the true high point matters little given the featureless nature of the terrain.

From the summit, the route returns a short distance south-west to the last bealach before bearing south-south-west to cross the Allt Cuil na Caillich, a stream that has cut a steep little V-shaped valley into the plateau — crossing here, rather than closer to the steepest drop, is the sensible line. Beyond, easy ground continues south-east to the third Munro, A' Chailleach.

The combined round taking in all three Monadhliath Munros — Càrn Dearg, Càrn Sgulain, and A' Chailleach — from Glen Banchor is typically six to eight hours, covering rough terrain lower down and largely featureless hills higher up.

The plateau crossing genuinely tests navigation in poor visibility, and while the fence posts provide welcome guidance, this remains remote, exposed terrain with limited features to fix a position by — full route-finding skills are essential given the vast, open nature of this high ground.

Parking at the end of the Glen Banchor road is free; buses and trains serve Newtonmore, around 3 kilometres from the start.