The Black Cuillin of Skye – Sgurr nan Eag & Sgurr Dubh Mor

The Cuillin Ridge From Sgurr Dubh Mor

The 2 southernmost Munros on the Skye Ridge make for a long day but can – under the right conditions – give memorable views. Northwards, the Skye ridge snakes its sinuous way towards Sgurr nan Gillean whilst to the east, Bla Bheinn stands in splendid isolation leading the eye towards the Munros of Knoydart. Out to sea, beyond the nearer islands of Rum, Eigg and Canna, you can see South Uist and Barra and the other islands of the Outer Hebrides.

The Island of Rum (on a very good day)!

This week gave mixed conditions on Skye with four-seasonal weather making its presence felt. Wind, rain and hail mingled with clear skies and sunshine (not in the most favourable of proportions) to ensure the weather was anything but boring. Unfortunately for my battle-hardened aspirant Munroists from Dalkeith, by the time they arrived to tackle their penultimate Skye Munros all the variety had gone out of the weather and it was low cloud and rain almost all the way!

Coir a'Ghrunnda

A family of red deer were taking a dip in the River Brittle and eyed me passively as I drove down to the Glen Brittle road-end. From here we donned waterproofs and set out along the well-constructed path that leads in an hour to the concealed entrance to Coir a’Ghrunnda. Here, Maggie wisely decided that discretion was the greater part of valour and courageously decided to return to the car and pursue alternative activities for the remainder of the day. Geoff donned his fetching grape-coloured cap as we turned north and climbed into the corrie. We followed the sketchy and at times indeterminate path that climbs up some scree, across a boulder field and up 2 rock bands before reaching the impressive Loch Coir a’Ghrunnda, a blue sheet cradled in a rocky amphitheatre which remains hidden until the last moment.

Sgurr Alasdair Towers Above Loch Coir a'Ghrunnda

Naturally, most of the finer details of this spectacular location were not so evident today! From the loch a fairly steep 180m climb up a stony slope puts you on the ridge line and a further 10 mins of fairly level ground leads to the conspicuous summit cairn of Sgurr nan Eag (924m; notched peak). No view today of course but those visiting on a good day will want to linger long and take in the wide and impressive panorama.

Sgurr nan Eag - Summit Pic!

The route on to Sgurr Dubh Mor leads back the way you came until half way down the stony slope when you bear right on to the ridge itself and traverse along below the rock pillar of Caisteal a’Garbh-choire (the castle of the rough corrie) which is best avoided to the right. Here, much evidence of pyroclastic volcanic activity suggests this was not a spot to be standing 60 million years ago when the future use of Skye as a mountaineering mecca was being established! Whilst Jackie and Charles set about devouring their comprehensive collection of continental cheeses (and I tucked into my pasty) the clouds briefly cleared to show us Loch Coruisk far below where the Bella Jane from Elgol was entertaining its passengers by drawing tight circles with her wake in the emerald coloured waters. After lunch further climbing – more like entertaining seaside scrambling – for 20 mins brought us to the summit of Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn (944m; black peak of the two mountains).

Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn From Sgurr Dubh Mor

Here, as I so ably demonstrated to my windswept and interested clients, holding a magnetic compass close to the summit rock can give a significant deflection of the needle. From here we descended through the murk along the outlying ridge to our second Munro.

Scrambling Up Sgurr Dubh Mor

Whilst this summit lies only 200m off the main ridge and requires only 50m descent and re-ascent to achieve, route finding here is difficult in the clearest of conditions. In mist it can be treacherous so take care and know what you’re doing. Deftly we picked our way down, along and up snaking our way over and around the various cliffs, crags and crevices that seek to hinder your progress to the top. And then suddenly we were there atop this peskiest of Cuillin Munros that really does try to make things difficult for you: Sgurr Dubh Mor (979m; big black rocky peak). Again, no view. Sorry folks; you should have been here yesterday!

Distant Sgurr nan Gillean From Sgurr Dubh Mor

We retraced our steps down, along and back up to Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn wisely deciding not to repeat the compass trick as the novelty had no doubt worn off in the rain! We traversed north along the ridge a few hundred metres before turning left and returning down into Coir a’Ghrunnda. We paused once more at the loch before descending back to Glen Brittle where we knew Maggie, the cars, some lightly sautéed potatoes and a glass of ale would serve as a fitting end to our day in the clouds.

Check out my future plans for similar walks on: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm