Isolated Ben Loyal, known as the Queen of Scottish Mountains, makes a fantastic day out. The long ridge with four peaks has excellent 360 degree views of sea, mountains, bog and moor.
Summary
Easy tracks leading to boggy path, ascent is pathless, steep and wet underfoot. Grassy ridge makes pleasant walking.
Terrain
NC584546
Grid ref
15km/9.25 miles
Distance
Grade
Safety warning: Hillwalking when there is snow or ice lying requires ice-axe, crampons and the ability to use them. Some featured routes can become technical ice climbs. Check out our Winter Skills information provided by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.
Parking area just before cattle grid on track to Ribigil
[Map
of start point, satnav coords and directions]
Start
Maps
Users'
rating
None to start, nearest bus stop, Tongue.
Open Traveline Scotland
Public transport
1. Take the minor road south of Tongue and take the turning for Ribigill. There is a small parking area on the left just before the cattle grid. From here walk down the road keeping left at the two junctions and passing the farm buildings to follow a stony track. The track heads directly for Ben Loyal going through a gate. Follow the fence until the track forks, bear left here and soon the track climbs gently and crosses a small stream. After another gate the track narrows to a boggy path aiming due south towards the derelict house at Cunside.
2. Cross the Allt Lon Malmsgaig at the ford to the west of the Cunside house. The footbridge marked on some maps does not exist. Keep well to the right of the house and enclosure and follow a clear path heading towards the Bealach Clais nan Ceap. The path can be very boggy. The rocky summit of Sgor Chaonasaid looms above, once the path becomes less steep bear south west up the grass and heather slope keeping to the left of the rocks and steeper ground below the summit.
3. After a steep pull the ridge is reached. A quick detour to the summit of Sgor Chaonasaid and then the whole ridge can be followed on a faint grassy path. The highest peak is the granite tor of An Caisteal at 764m and marked with a trig point. Find the way up by following the trodden route around the west side. From here continue to Beinn Bheag at 744 metres, bear right (east) from the path to head along the grassy ridge to the summit.
4. From here it is possible to head west to the summit of Sgor a Cheirich,it is necessary to then come back to the main ridge. It is also possible to descend to the col between Beinn Bheag and Carn an Tionail and then descend to the west then south west before turning north to skirt round the west side of Sgor Fionnaich. A short section through the woods leads to a long and boggy moorland section to return to Cunside.
5. The route here describes retracing the outward route along the ridge with fabulous views of the Kyle of Tongue below and then heading back down the slope to pick up the path heading for the bealach between Ben Loyal and Ben Hiel. On the way down you may well see wreckage of a plane which crashed in the summer of 1943. The downed aircraft was apparently a Handley-Page Hampden bomber on a mission to search for another aircraft reported missing from a flight from Wick to collect weather information. The aircraft was doing about 150 mph when it crashed into the mountainside. Amazingly one man survived and was rescued by shepherd and local doctor who set out from Ribigill.
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