Sgùrr Fhuaran

Sgùrr Fhuaran, at 1,067 metres, is the central and highest peak of the renowned Five Sisters of Kintail, a perfect cone whose west ridge offers perhaps the longest continuous ascent route in Scotland — though most walkers approach it via its neighbours as part of the full ridge traverse.

Reached from Sgùrr na Càrnach via Bealach na Càrnach, the ascent is steep and bouldery, with the path branching into several variants seeking the easiest line before unavoidable boulderfield on the final approach to the summit — the cairn marking the highest point is smaller than the scale of the mountain might suggest, but the views are stunning, particularly over Loch Duich towards Skye.

Beyond the summit, walkers face a choice: descend the very long, steep west ridge directly into Glen Shiel — around 1,000 metres of continuous descent, the first possible route down since Bealach an Lapain — or continue the ridge traverse north-west, kinking to avoid the steep crags of the north face before crossing Bealach Buidhe towards Sgùrr nan Saighead, which despite being the fourth "sister" is only a Munro Top and not a full Munro, its summit bypassed by the main path along the south-western slopes.

Critically, those planning to descend Sgùrr Fhuaran's west ridge must climb all the way to the summit first before starting down — attempting to bypass the top to reach the ridge directly leads onto dangerous, steep ground around the head of the Allt na Càrnach gully, where there have been fatal accidents.

The full Five Sisters traverse, taking in all three Munros, is around 15 kilometres, typically seven to nine hours; the extremely fit sometimes continue north over further ridge sections towards Sgùrr na Moraich, the true fifth sister, though this considerably extends the day.

This is a serious mountain with a specific, well-documented navigational hazard around the descent route — the correct line via the true summit must be followed exactly, and full navigation skills are essential given the fatal consequences of straying onto the wrong ground.

The Glen Shiel car park is free; Citylink buses between Glasgow and Inverness run along the A87, stopping at the driver's discretion.