Tom a' Chòinich

Tom a' Chòinich stands in the Northwest Highlands, a Munro rising 1,112 metres above Glen Affric to the south and Loch Mullardoch to the north. Less than a kilometre west is its smaller top, Tom a' Chòinich Beag, while the parent peak Càrn Eige lies about four kilometres away. The mountain’s prominence measures 149 metres, setting it apart from another nearby hill of the same name near Ben Wyvis. A clear path starts from the north shore of Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin and follows Gleann nam Fiadh upstream to Bealach Toll Easa. This route once linked Affric Lodge to Benula Lodge before the reservoir flooded the lower ground. An alternative southeast ridge offers a more direct climb but becomes rocky lower down. Walkers reach open slopes above the treeline where views stretch across Affric’s glen and the loch below. The summit ridge delivers wide horizons over the Affric Forest and the distant peaks of Kintail. On calm days the air carries the scent of heather and bog myrtle from the lower slopes.