Sgurr na Càrnach
Encyclopedia
Sgùrr na Càrnach is a Scottish
mountain situated on the northern side of Glen Shiel
, 24 kilometres south east of Kyle of Lochalsh
. The mountain is part of one of the best views in the Western Highlands as it is one of three mountains which make up the Five Sisters of Kintail
(the other two being Sgùrr Fhuaran
and Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe). The mountain reaches a height of 1002 metres (3270 feet) and is classed as a Munro
. The summit of the mountain is rough and boulder-ridden, living up to its Gaelic
name which means "Peak of the Stony Place".
From 1891 to 1997 Sgùrr na Càrnach was ranked as just a "Top" of the nearby Munro of Sgùrr Fhuraran and was not given separate Munro status, however in the 1997 revision of the tables by the Scottish Mountaineering Club
, the mountain was elevated to the Munro category as it was decided that with 134 metres of topographic prominence
it had the required characteristics of a separate mountain.
Sgùrr na Càrnach has extremely steep slopes to the east and west, the western slopes descend sharply to Glen Shiel while to the east the mountain falls precipitously into Coire Domhain. The mountain has a main north to south ridge which connects to Sgùrr Fhuraran (north) and Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe (south). There is a minor north western ridge which descends sharply to Glen Shiel, however this is rarely used as a means of ascent because of difficulties crossing the River Shiel
in the valley and of the unremitting steepness of the ridge itself.
Because of Sgùrr na Càrnach’s central position of the three Munros which make up the Five Sisters of Kintail it is invariably approached along the ridge from either Sgùrr Fhuraran or Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe as walkers complete the full Five Sisters ridge walk. A direct ascent is possible, as mentioned, up the north west ridge. The best starting place for this direct ascent is Achnangart Farm (grid reference ) where there is parking space in an old quarry, a direct ascent up the hillside should not be attempted as there are steep crags higher up. The walker should walk 1.5 km north to the base of the NW ridge and ascend steeply but safely from there. The most common ascent starts further up the Glen and climbs to the Bealach na Lapain before crossing Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe to reach Sgùrr na Càrnach. The view from the top of the mountain gives a fine end on view of Loch Duich
to the north and an aerial prospect down into Coire Domhain to the east.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
mountain situated on the northern side of Glen Shiel
Glen Shiel
Glen Shiel is a glen in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland.The glen runs approximately 9 miles from north-west to south-east, from sea level at the village of Shiel Bridge and Loch Duich to the Cluanie Inn at the western end of Loch Cluanie and the start of Glenmoriston.W. H...
, 24 kilometres south east of Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland, 63 miles west of Inverness. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye...
. The mountain is part of one of the best views in the Western Highlands as it is one of three mountains which make up the Five Sisters of Kintail
Kintail
Kintail is an area of mountains in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. It consists of the mountains to the north of Glen Shiel and the A87 road between the heads of Loch Duich and Loch Cluanie; its boundaries, other than Glen Shiel, are generally taken to be the valleys of Strath Croe and Gleann...
(the other two being Sgùrr Fhuaran
Sgurr Fhuaran
Sgùrr Fhuaran is a Scottish mountain that is situated on the northern side of Glen Shiel, east south east of Kyle of Lochalsh.- Overview :...
and Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe). The mountain reaches a height of 1002 metres (3270 feet) and is classed as a Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
. The summit of the mountain is rough and boulder-ridden, living up to its Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
name which means "Peak of the Stony Place".
From 1891 to 1997 Sgùrr na Càrnach was ranked as just a "Top" of the nearby Munro of Sgùrr Fhuraran and was not given separate Munro status, however in the 1997 revision of the tables by the Scottish Mountaineering Club
Scottish Mountaineering Club
The Scottish Mountaineering Club is Scotland's second oldest mountaineering club. Founded in 1889, in Glasgow, the private club, with about 400 members, publishes guidebooks and runs a list of Munroists.-History:At the time of the club's founding there were a number of experienced Alpinists...
, the mountain was elevated to the Munro category as it was decided that with 134 metres of topographic prominence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
it had the required characteristics of a separate mountain.
Sgùrr na Càrnach has extremely steep slopes to the east and west, the western slopes descend sharply to Glen Shiel while to the east the mountain falls precipitously into Coire Domhain. The mountain has a main north to south ridge which connects to Sgùrr Fhuraran (north) and Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe (south). There is a minor north western ridge which descends sharply to Glen Shiel, however this is rarely used as a means of ascent because of difficulties crossing the River Shiel
River Shiel
The River Shiel is a four kilometre long river in Acharacle, Highland. It flows out of the Loch Shiel into the sea at Dorlin.- Fishing :...
in the valley and of the unremitting steepness of the ridge itself.
Because of Sgùrr na Càrnach’s central position of the three Munros which make up the Five Sisters of Kintail it is invariably approached along the ridge from either Sgùrr Fhuraran or Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe as walkers complete the full Five Sisters ridge walk. A direct ascent is possible, as mentioned, up the north west ridge. The best starting place for this direct ascent is Achnangart Farm (grid reference ) where there is parking space in an old quarry, a direct ascent up the hillside should not be attempted as there are steep crags higher up. The walker should walk 1.5 km north to the base of the NW ridge and ascend steeply but safely from there. The most common ascent starts further up the Glen and climbs to the Bealach na Lapain before crossing Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe to reach Sgùrr na Càrnach. The view from the top of the mountain gives a fine end on view of Loch Duich
Loch Duich
Loch Duich is a sea loch situated on the western coast of Scotland, in the Highlands.-History:In 1719, British forces burned many homesteads along the loch’s shores in the month preceding the Battle of Glen Shiel....
to the north and an aerial prospect down into Coire Domhain to the east.