Sgùrr na Ruaidhe

Sgùrr na Ruaidhe rises in the remote Northwest Highlands, 40 kilometres west of Inverness. It is the third-highest and easternmost of four Munros in a ridge that stretches east–west between Glen Strathfarrar to the south and Glen Orrin to the north. The mountain’s broad, flat summit plateau is marked by a cairn, and five ridges radiate from it in different directions. The mountain’s steepest slopes face south and south-east, where cliffs and rocky ribs drop into Coire Gòrm. Elsewhere the flanks fall more gently, covered in grass and moss, with lower outliers such as An Leth-chreag at 756 metres and Sgùrr na Cairbe at 686 metres. A broad north-east ridge links the summit to Aonach na Reise, the 913-metre eastern top, while the north-west ridge crosses the Bealach nam Botaichean saddle to the next Munro, Càrn nan Gobhar. Walkers usually reach the mountain through Coire Mhuillidh from Glen Strathfarrar. The final climb follows the south-west ridge up the grassy flank. Many complete a round of all four Munros, moving on from Sgùrr na Ruaidhe along the north-west ridge and the Bealach nam Botaichean. From the north the approach is longer, threading through Glen Orrin or Strathconon before the long ascent.