Sgurr na Sgine
Encyclopedia
Sgurr na Sgine is a Scottish
mountain situated eight kilometres south of Shiel Bridge in the Glenshiel (deer
) Forest at the lower end of Glen Shiel
in the Highland District
.
and a Marilyn
and has a height of 946 metres (3104 feet). It is a fine mountain but is overshadowed by its near neighbour The Saddle
, which is ranked as one of the best mountains in Scotland. Sgurr na Sgine is a shy mountain and the best valley to summit view of it is from the remote country to the south west, it looks particularly fine from the top of the Mam Barrisdale pass from where it takes on a more dramatic appearance than The Saddle. The mountains name translates from the Gaelic
as "Peak of the Knife" this is thought to refer to a wall of rock beneath the summit on its eastern flank which takes on a blade like appearance from some angles.
) which reaches a height of 909 metres. This top which is seen as a sharp distinctive cone alongside The Saddle when viewed from the A87 road
at the Battle of Glen Shiel
site (grid reference ) in what is regarded as a classic mountain view. Despite its visual prominence Faochag does not even qualify as a Corbett having only 52 metres of prominence from the main summit. It used to be classified as a "top" in the Munro Tables before being deleted in 1974 when it was found to have insufficient height after re-surveying by the Ordnance Survey
.
Sgurr na Sgine’s steep, narrow north ridge has been christened “Concorde Ridge” by famed Scottish hill walker Hamish Brown
after he and a companion were startled by a vast flock of terrified ptarmigan when descending in winter conditions. The cliffs to the east of the summit are more precipitous than shown on the map and a direct descent should not be attempted to the Bealach
a Toiteil, walkers should contour round the side of the cliffs to reach the bealach which connects the mountain to the Corbett Sgurr a'Bhac Chaolais.
, the Bealach Coire Mhalagain, at 699 metres. Some guidebooks say that the mountain can be climbed along with the seven Munros of the South Glen Shiel ridge although this is a very long and hard day in the hills, suitable only for the extremely fit hill walker. A direct ascent of Sgurr na Sgine is possible from Achnangart Farm (grid reference ) in Glen Shiel, which is almost at sea level, giving a hard climb up the grassy slopes of the north east ridge to Faochag where the gradient eases considerably giving an easier walk to the summit, although it is a rocky scramble up Concorde Ridge to reach the summit plateau. A circuit of Coire Toteil can be completed by continuing from the summit to take in the Corbett Sgurr a'Bhac Chaolais and then descending back to Glen Shiel.
The top of the mountain has two summits: the North West Top has a height of 942 metres and is regarded as a "top" in the Munro Tables. The highest point is a further 300 metres south easterly with a height of 946 metres. The view from the top gives an excellent prospect of the Forcan Ridge on The Saddle to the north. The Kintail Forest Munros are seen to the north east and the remote area of Knoydart is seen to the south west.
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 eight kilometres south of Shiel Bridge in the Glenshiel (deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
) Forest at the lower end 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...
in the Highland District
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
.
Overview
Sgurr na Sgine is classified as a MunroMunro
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...
and a Marilyn
Marilyn (hill)
A Marilyn is a mountain or hill in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or Isle of Man with a relative height of at least 150 metres , regardless of absolute height or other merit...
and has a height of 946 metres (3104 feet). It is a fine mountain but is overshadowed by its near neighbour The Saddle
The Saddle
The Saddle is one of the great Scottish mountains; seen from thesite of the Battle of Glen Shiel it forms one of the best-known views in the Highlands. It is in the Highland local government area, on the boundary between the counties of Inverness-shire and Ross and Cromarty.The mountain provides...
, which is ranked as one of the best mountains in Scotland. Sgurr na Sgine is a shy mountain and the best valley to summit view of it is from the remote country to the south west, it looks particularly fine from the top of the Mam Barrisdale pass from where it takes on a more dramatic appearance than The Saddle. The mountains name translates from the 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....
as "Peak of the Knife" this is thought to refer to a wall of rock beneath the summit on its eastern flank which takes on a blade like appearance from some angles.
Geography
Sgurr na Sgine has a subsidiary top along its north eastern ridge called Faochag (The WhelkWhelk
Whelk, also spelled welk or even "wilks", is a common name used to mean one or more kinds of sea snail. The species, genera and families referred to using this common name vary a great deal from one geographic area to another...
) which reaches a height of 909 metres. This top which is seen as a sharp distinctive cone alongside The Saddle when viewed from the A87 road
A87 road
The A87 is a major road in the Highland region of Scotland.It runs west from its junction with the A82 road at Invergarry , along the north shores of Loch Garry and Loch Cluanie, then down through Glen Shiel and along Loch Duich to Kyle of Lochalsh before crossing the Skye Bridge to Kyleakin,...
at the Battle of Glen Shiel
Battle of Glen Shiel
The Battle of Glen Shiel was a battle in Glen Shiel, in the West Highlands of Scotland on 10 June 1719, between British government troops and an alliance of Jacobites and Spaniards, resulting in a victory for the government forces. It was the last close engagement of British and foreign troops on...
site (grid reference ) in what is regarded as a classic mountain view. Despite its visual prominence Faochag does not even qualify as a Corbett having only 52 metres of prominence from the main summit. It used to be classified as a "top" in the Munro Tables before being deleted in 1974 when it was found to have insufficient height after re-surveying by the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
.
Sgurr na Sgine’s steep, narrow north ridge has been christened “Concorde Ridge” by famed Scottish hill walker Hamish Brown
Hamish Brown
Hamish Brown M.B.E. is a professional writer, lecturer and photographer specialising in mountain and outdoor topics. He is best known for his walking exploits in the Scottish Highlands, having completed multiple rounds of the Munros and being the first person to walk all the Munros in a single trip...
after he and a companion were startled by a vast flock of terrified ptarmigan when descending in winter conditions. The cliffs to the east of the summit are more precipitous than shown on the map and a direct descent should not be attempted to the Bealach
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
a Toiteil, walkers should contour round the side of the cliffs to reach the bealach which connects the mountain to the Corbett Sgurr a'Bhac Chaolais.
Ascents and summit
Sgurr na Sgine is quite often climbed along with The Saddle to which it is joined by a colMountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
, the Bealach Coire Mhalagain, at 699 metres. Some guidebooks say that the mountain can be climbed along with the seven Munros of the South Glen Shiel ridge although this is a very long and hard day in the hills, suitable only for the extremely fit hill walker. A direct ascent of Sgurr na Sgine is possible from Achnangart Farm (grid reference ) in Glen Shiel, which is almost at sea level, giving a hard climb up the grassy slopes of the north east ridge to Faochag where the gradient eases considerably giving an easier walk to the summit, although it is a rocky scramble up Concorde Ridge to reach the summit plateau. A circuit of Coire Toteil can be completed by continuing from the summit to take in the Corbett Sgurr a'Bhac Chaolais and then descending back to Glen Shiel.
The top of the mountain has two summits: the North West Top has a height of 942 metres and is regarded as a "top" in the Munro Tables. The highest point is a further 300 metres south easterly with a height of 946 metres. The view from the top gives an excellent prospect of the Forcan Ridge on The Saddle to the north. The Kintail Forest Munros are seen to the north east and the remote area of Knoydart is seen to the south west.