Am Faochagach

The Am Faochagach is a 953-metre Munro and Marilyn in the Northwest Highlands, about fifty kilometres northwest of Inverness and twenty kilometres southeast of Ullapool. Its Gaelic name means ‘place of the shells’, though older maps called it ‘place of heather’, matching the vegetation. The mountain sits in the Strathvaich Forest, separated from the Deargs range by the wide glacial valley of the Allt Làir. A long ridge, over seven kilometres long, runs from the south of the forest to the north, with the Am Faochagach at its highest point near the northern end. The mountain attracts Munro-baggers because of its isolation, long unmarked approaches and unassuming summit. The usual start is a car park by Torrandhu Bridge on Loch Glascarnoch, where walkers cross boggy moorland and the Abhainn a’ Gharbhrain before reaching the ridge from the southwest. The final climb passes several low tops marked by cairns to the broad, grassy summit. An alternative route avoids the river crossing by following the north shore of Loch Glascarnoch from the dam at its eastern end, though this adds distance. From the summit the view stretches over the rounded hills of Strathvaich Forest and the steep flanks of Coire Làir. To the southeast the ridge drops to the subsidiary top of Meall Gorm, with the Coire Gorm corrie between them leading down to Loch Vaich. East of the main summit lies Càrn Gorm-loch, a 909-metre Corbett top. The broad, grassy ridge and the sheltered corries give a sense of quiet remoteness, making the long walk worthwhile.