Five Sisters of Kintail

The Five Sisters of Kintail is one of the great ridge walks of the Scottish Highlands — a high-level traverse of five Munros and Munro Tops along a dramatic ridge above Loch Duich. The walk is usually completed as a linear traverse, starting from the A87 in Glen Shiel at the foot of Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe and finishing at Morvich in Strath Croe, requiring a car shuttle or taxi return. The ascent from Glen Shiel is steep and unrelenting — the ridge rises approximately 1,000 metres from the glen floor in two and a half kilometres — but the reward at the top is immediate. The traverse connects Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe (1,027 metres) and Sgùrr na Carnach (1,002 metres) before continuing over the remaining Sisters along a narrow ridge with impressive drops on both sides. The descent from Sgùrr Fhuaran (1,067 metres) drops steeply into Coire Domhain before gentler slopes lead down to Morvich. The full traverse is approximately 16 kilometres with 1,700 metres of ascent and takes between seven and ten hours for experienced hillwalkers. The ridge is exposed and navigation requires care in poor visibility. The Sisters are most dramatic seen from the shores of Loch Duich below, from where all five summits are visible in perfect profile. Eilean Donan Castle, approximately seven miles east of the trailhead on the A87, provides a natural combined visit and is one of the most photographed buildings in Scotland.