Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais

Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais, at 1,083 metres, is the highest of the Glen Strathfarrar Munros, a shapely pyramid with steep northern flanks lying between Glen Strathfarrar and Glen Orrin, and one of the most difficult hills in Scotland to reach, given the private road restricting vehicle access up the glen.

The route starts from a car park near Milton Cottage in Glen Strathfarrar — a private road with access restrictions for vehicles, though walkers and cyclists face no such limitations. From a flat grassy area between Loch Beannacharan and Loch a' Mhuillidh, a track heads north and climbs past a small dam, following the Allt Coire Mhuillidh upstream. Most walkers tackle the full four-Munro circuit clockwise, climbing Sgùrr na Ruaidhe first, then Càrn nan Gobhar, before continuing to Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais via a steep grassy ridge that becomes bouldery near the top — patches of small boulders give way to a full field of blocks on the final approach, though this can be avoided by keeping slightly south of the crest on a faint path. The broad summit plateau is crowned by two large cairns and a trig point, with sweeping views across the whole circuit and beyond.

From here, most walkers continue west-north-west, descending a stony area before a grassy ridge curves down to a small col and climbs along the edge of the Coire na Sguile cliffs to Creag Ghorm a' Bhealaich, then onward to Sgùrr Fhuar-thuill, the westernmost Munro of the range.

The full four-Munro circuit — Sgùrr na Ruaidhe, Càrn nan Gobhar, Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais, and Sgùrr Fhuar-thuill — from Milton Cottage is around 22-25 kilometres with roughly 1,650 metres of ascent, typically eight to ten hours; the approach alone can be shortened by cycling the private road with permission, or by mountain bike where permitted.

The boulder field near the summit demands care, and the descent north-east from Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais can be genuinely difficult to follow in mist or snow cover — the path head lies slightly north of the trig point and requires attention to locate correctly.

Parking near Milton Cottage is free, though the private road has access restrictions — check current arrangements before visiting; there is no public transport to the start.