Fionn Bheinn, Achnasheen

GLEN CARRON: LOCHCARRON TO ACHNAHSHEEN


Summary :	Fionn Bheinn is the forgotten hill of the area with its wide grassy slopes and it would receive few ascents if it wasn't a Munro. It is, however, an excellent viewpoint.
Terrain :	Pathless but short and straightforward if boggy hillwalk.
Grade :		Distance :	7km/4.25 miles
Bog Factor :		Time :	4 – 6 hours
Start :	Achnasheen car park	Grid ref :	NG164586
Map :	View an OS map of the route Buy Explorer 435 – An Teallach online	Ascent :	815m
GPS Route/ Waypoints :	Open this walk in QUO 2 Tell me more Open this walk in GPX format (compatible with Memory map etc)	Open this walk in Google Earth Tell me more Open all walks in Google Earth Tell me more
Pronunciation and meaning :	Press play button to listen Tell me more
Public Transport :	Bus or train to Achnasheen[Click for timetables - choose Area 5]

1. Park at the car park in the centre of Achnasheen, which has toilets. This area has been landscaped in recent years and is attractive with a small village pond. Head west up the lane back to the main A832 road, turning right. Two hundred metres along the road, turn left onto a track just before a commercial building. The track passes to the right of a large barn; beyond, go through the gate that gives access to the hill. You should see the wooden stream of the Allt Achadh na Sine coming down the hillside ahead; head diagonally across to this and then climb up the near bank.

2. Ascend the grassy hillside beside the stream for almost two kilometres, where the slope eases. Leave the stream here to avoid heading into a flat boggy area, heading north-northeast towards the shoulder ahead, Creagan na Laogh, which gives a steeper climb. From the flat top of this hillock with its tiny cairn, continue northwards across a shallow descent to climb once more, right up to the ridge of Fionn Bheinn.

Photo ©Chris Eilbeck, reproduced under this Creative Commons license.

3. Turn left along the ridge, which descends slightly before it begins the climb to the summit. The ridge is bounded on the north by the grassy crags of Toll Mor, the most dramatic feature of Fionn Bheinn and unsuspected in views from the road. The ridge curves slightly right to reach the summit trig point. Fionn Bheinn is 934 metres high, which makes it a Munro. There is a great view north to the Fannaichs across Loch Fannich (the range to which Fionn Bheinn belongs, geologically), but the best prospect is that of the Torridon mountains from this unfamiliar angle. The quickest descent is to return the same way.

Photo ©Chris Eilbeck, reproduced under this Creative Commons license.

4. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the hill is its mention in the prophecies of the Brahan Seer. Unlike many of his prophecies, this is one which has not yet come to pass, nor is it clear what it means. He said – 'The day will come when a raven, attired in plaid and bonnet, will drink his fill of human blood on Fionn Bheinn, three times a day, for three successive days'.

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Route profile

Accommodation links for this area:
Hotels in Glen Carron: Loch Carron to Achnasheen
Glen Carron: Loch Carron to Achnasheen Bed and Breakfasts
Self catering cottages in Glen Carron: Loch Carron to Achnasheen
Torridon & Gairloch hostels
Campsites in Torridon and Gairloch region