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The 12 Best Hill Walks on the NC500

Twelve hand-picked hills along the NC500 — ranked by character, not height. From Suilven's defining profile to An Teallach's pinnacle ridge. Walk-in times, difficulty, and which day of the route to climb each.

OutdoorSCOT 17 May 2026 13 min read

Quick Summary

  • The NC500 is the access road for some of Scotland's most distinctive hills. This list ranks 12 of them by character — not height — which means Suilven (731 m) beats Ben Hope (927 m) and Stac Pollaidh (612 m) outranks several Munros.
  • Mix: 4 Munros, 6 Corbetts, 2 Grahams. Every one is climbed from a lay-by on the NC500 or a side road that branches from it.
  • Best ones to do depend on which days of the trip suit a hill rest day. Suilven from Lochinver, An Teallach from Dundonnell, Ben Hope from Strath More, Liathach from Glen Torridon are the four blue-chip days.
  • Do not underestimate Sutherland. "Walk-in" distances on these hills are real — Suilven is 10 km each way before you start climbing. Plan for the full day.

The NC500 brand sells the driving holiday. But the route is also the access road for a cluster of hills that are arguably more distinctive than anywhere else in Scotland — Suilven, Stac Pollaidh, An Teallach, Foinaven, the Torridon giants. These aren't just hills you can see from a passing place. Most are climbed from a lay-by on the NC500 itself.

This guide ranks twelve of them by character rather than height. It's a sub-set of our broader What is the NC500 explainer and pairs with the cycling guide for trip planning (a hill day every 2–3 days is the right rhythm on a 9-day NC500 cycle). If you're walking, the Cape Wrath Trail planning guide and Sutherland Trail cover much of the same hill country at hill-walker pace.

How we ranked them

By character first — distinctive profile, defining landscape position, the kind of hill that pulls people from Glasgow for the weekend. Height is the loosest of correlations on the NC500. Suilven is 731 m and dominates Sutherland geographically and culturally; Ben Klibreck is 962 m, technically a Munro, and almost no one outside the bagging community has heard of it.

The 12 hills below sit on or within ~20 km of the NC500 corridor. Each entry includes the location relative to the route, difficulty, walk-in distance, defining feature, and a link to the full OutdoorSCOT hill page (which has route description, parking, terrain, weather, daylight, conditions and gear notes).

For full filtering by region and hill type, use the filterable hills index or the Far North region hub and NW Highlands region hub.

1. Suilven (731 m) — Glencanisp, Lochinver

The defining hill of Sutherland. A 700 m sandstone tube rising directly from a flat moor of bog and lochans — the most distinctive mountain profile in Scotland. Visible from much of the NC500 west coast.

  • NC500 access: From Glencanisp Lodge, 3 km east of Lochinver. NC500 day 7 (Lochinver overnight).
  • Walk-in: 9 km each way on a Lodge track to the foot of the hill, then steep direct ascent.
  • Difficulty: Strenuous full day (8–10 hours). The summit ridge has a famous notch (the Bealach Mor) — easy scramble down and up; not technical.
  • Defining feature: The profile. Photographed from every angle: from the road in to Lochinver, from the Coigach back lanes, from the boat across Loch Druim Suardalain.
  • Best month: May–September. May is the connoisseur's window.
  • Bothy base: Suileag bothy sits at the foot of the hill and makes a perfect overnight base.

2. Stac Pollaidh (612 m) — Coigach

The most-photographed small mountain in Scotland. A tiny pinnacled rocky summit rising 600 m straight from the Coigach moor. The shortest "real mountain" walk in Sutherland.

  • NC500 access: Layby on the single-track road from Drumrunie to Achiltibuie (side road off the NC500 west of Ullapool). NC500 day 7 detour.
  • Walk-in: 30 minutes from the car park to the start of the climb.
  • Difficulty: 3-hour return for the main ridge. The true summit pinnacle is an exposed move that many walkers skip — easier western summit is the standard target.
  • Defining feature: 360° view across the Inverpolly lochan country to Suilven, Cul Mor, Cul Beag, and the Atlantic.
  • Best month: April–October.

3. An Teallach (1,062 m) — Dundonnell

The best pinnacle ridge on the British mainland. Two linked Munros (Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill + Sgurr Fiona) joined by the Corrag Bhuidhe — a series of exposed sandstone pinnacles. Scotland's most demanding non-Cuillin ridge walk.

  • NC500 access: Layby on the A832 at Dundonnell. NC500 day 8.
  • Walk-in: 2 hours to the first summit.
  • Difficulty: Full day (9–10 hours) with exposed scrambling on the main pinnacle ridge. Bypass paths exist for the most exposed sections. Not for first-time scramblers.
  • Defining feature: The summit ridge looking across the abyss of Lochan na Bidean.
  • Best month: June–September (dry rock; winter is mountaineering territory).

4. Liathach (1,055 m) — Glen Torridon

The Torridon sandstone giant. A 6 km horizontal ridge of red sandstone steps rising directly from Glen Torridon. Pair with Mullach an Rathain for the full traverse — one of the great days in British mountaineering.

  • NC500 access: The full Torridon detour is south of the NC500 via the A832. NC500 day 8/9 if you take the Wester Ross south variant.
  • Walk-in: 1 hour to the first summit, then 6 km of summit ridge.
  • Difficulty: Full day (10–11 hours) with exposed scrambling on the pinnacle Fasarinen section. Bypass path lower down for the cautious; the full ridge for those comfortable on exposed Grade 1+ ground.
  • Defining feature: The terraced sandstone steps. Looks like the back of a sleeping dragon from Glen Torridon.
  • Best month: May–September.

5. Ben Hope (927 m) — Strath More

The most northerly Munro in Scotland. A simple cone of a hill rising directly from Loch Hope. The classic "tick it from the road" Munro in Sutherland.

  • NC500 access: Layby on the minor road from Tongue to Altnaharra (off the A836). NC500 day 5.
  • Walk-in: Direct from the layby on a well-trodden path.
  • Difficulty: 5-hour return. The standard route is easy underfoot, no exposure. Steepest section is in the middle third.
  • Defining feature: 360° view from the most northerly Munro summit — Loch Hope south, Loch Eriboll north-west, the Pentland Firth in the distance.
  • Best month: April–October. Famously windy on the summit.

6. Quinag (808 m) — Loch Assynt

Three Corbetts in a single Y-shaped ridge. Sail Gharbh (the highest), Sail Ghorm, and Spidean Coinich. The full traverse is one of the great Corbett rounds in Britain.

  • NC500 access: Layby on the A894 north of Skiag Bridge. NC500 day 6.
  • Walk-in: Direct from the layby — 30 minutes to the first ridge.
  • Difficulty: Full day (6–8 hours) for all three tops. Single-summit days are shorter.
  • Defining feature: The ridge over Loch Assynt with Suilven, Cul Mor, the Atlantic and Lewis on a clear day.
  • Best month: May–September.

7. Foinaven (914 m) — Reay Forest

Quartzite at its best. A long ridge of pale quartzite rising above Loch Stack. Should be a Munro — it's almost exactly 914 m and was demoted by the last SMC revision. Cult favourite among Sutherland walkers.

  • NC500 access: Park at the layby on the A838 at the south end of Loch Stack. NC500 day 6.
  • Walk-in: 2 hours across the moor to the foot of the ridge.
  • Difficulty: Long day (8–10 hours). The summit ridge is rocky but unexposed. Navigation matters — featureless moor on the approach.
  • Defining feature: The pale quartzite scree slopes catching evening light, visible from miles around.
  • Best month: May–October.

8. Arkle (787 m) — Reay Forest

Foinaven's paired neighbour. Same Reay Forest quartzite, smaller, sharper profile. Famous as the namesake of the racehorse (Anne, Duchess of Westminster owned both the horse and the estate). Can be combined with Foinaven in a very long day.

  • NC500 access: Same Loch Stack lay-bys as Foinaven. NC500 day 6.
  • Walk-in: 1.5 hours to the foot of the ridge.
  • Difficulty: 6–7 hours return. Steep upper section on the south ridge.
  • Defining feature: The view east over the Reay Forest moorland and west to the Atlantic.
  • Best month: May–October.

9. Beinn Eighe (1,010 m) — Glen Torridon

The white quartzite ridge. Pale quartzite cap on red sandstone — visible for miles. Two Munros on the long summit ridge: Ruadh-stac Mòr and Spidean Coire nan Clach. The Triple Buttress face into Coire Mhic Fhearchair is a classic Scottish winter climbing arena.

  • NC500 access: Glen Torridon (south detour). NC500 day 8/9 via A832.
  • Walk-in: 1.5 hours to the first summit.
  • Difficulty: Full day (8–9 hours) for both Munros. Some scrambling on the ridge.
  • Defining feature: The Triple Buttress amphitheatre on the north side — Scotland's most photographed mountain face.
  • Best month: May–September.

10. Ben More Assynt + Conival (998 m / 987 m) — Inchnadamph

Sutherland's two highest Munros, paired. Climbed together from Inchnadamph on the NC500 (A837). The summit ridge has a quartzite pavement that's distinctive and slow underfoot.

  • NC500 access: Inchnadamph layby on the A837. NC500 day 6/7.
  • Walk-in: 2 hours to the first summit.
  • Difficulty: Full day (9–10 hours) for both. The quartzite pavement between summits is rough and slow — wet boots all the way.
  • Defining feature: The pavement of quartzite blocks on the connecting ridge. Like walking on a giant's broken paving.
  • Best month: May–October. Bothy base: Schoolhouse Inver, 4 km down the glen.

11. Ben Loyal (764 m) — Tongue

The "Queen of Scottish Mountains". A granite massif of pinnacled summits rising above the Kyle of Tongue. Multiple summit tops (An Caisteal is the highest); the round of all four is a long day.

  • NC500 access: Layby on the A836 south of Tongue. NC500 day 4/5.
  • Walk-in: 2 hours from the road end to the foot of the summit pinnacles.
  • Difficulty: 6–7 hours return for An Caisteal; longer for the full ridge. Granite tors require careful navigation in mist.
  • Defining feature: The pinnacle summits seen from the Kyle of Tongue causeway — distinctive granite tors against the sky.
  • Best month: May–September.

12. Cul Mor (849 m) — Inverpolly

The bigger of the Inverpolly trio with Cul Beag and Stac Pollaidh. Two summits (the main Cul Mor and Creag nan Calman), distinctive sandstone-and-quartzite layered profile.

  • NC500 access: Layby on the A835 at Knockan Crag (Inverpolly side road). NC500 day 7.
  • Walk-in: 1.5 hours to the foot of the hill.
  • Difficulty: 5–6 hours return. Steep upper section on screen and rock.
  • Defining feature: The Knockan Crag visitor centre at the foot of the hill explains the Moine Thrust — Cul Mor is built on the geological fault line that revolutionised plate tectonics in the 19th century.
  • Best month: May–October.

How to fit a hill day into an NC500 trip

If you're cycling the NC500 (9-day pace per our cycling guide), build in two hill rest days:

  • Day 5 or 6 (mid-trip) — Ben Hope from the Strath More lay-by, or Suilven from Lochinver. Both are achievable as full days off the bike with the bike parked at your overnight stop.
  • Day 8 (Wester Ross) — An Teallach from Dundonnell or Beinn Eighe from Glen Torridon. Either makes a memorable finale before the ride home.

If you're driving the NC500 (7–10 days), the right rhythm is half-day hills:

  • Stac Pollaidh (3h return) on the Coigach back-lanes day
  • Quinag's single summit Sail Ghorm (5h return) on the day from Lochinver
  • Ben Hope (5h return) on the north-coast day
  • Cul Mor (6h return) as a longer half-day

A 9-day NC500 with three half-day hills and one full day on Suilven or An Teallach gives you the route at the right pace.

If you're on the Cape Wrath Trail or Sutherland Trail instead of the road, several of these (Suilven, Ben More Assynt, Foinaven, Arkle) are direct hill days off the walking line.

When to go

May is the connoisseur's hill window on the NC500 — long daylight, snow patches still on the high ground for atmosphere, midges still mostly dormant on the west coast. The Sutherland Munros (Ben Hope, Ben More Assynt) often hold late snow at altitude well into May.

June is peak daylight (18+ hours) — you can climb Suilven, descend, and still have evening to spare. Midges starting on the west coast.

July–August is peak everything. The high ridges (An Teallach, Liathach, Beinn Eighe) are still workable above the midge layer; the low approaches and bothy nights are not. See the midge forecast for NW Highlands and Far North for month-specific risk by region.

September is the second prize window. Bracken colour, midges receding, lower visitor density on the popular hills. The single best month for Suilven photography.

October–April is winter mountaineering territory on the higher hills. Ben Hope from Strath More is the easiest winter Munro in the list; Liathach, Beinn Eighe and An Teallach become serious technical objectives requiring full winter kit and skills.

For seasonal context, see Best Time to Visit Scottish Highlands.

Practical considerations

  • Mobile signal is patchy across most of Sutherland and Wester Ross. The Lochinver–Durness stretch in particular has long no-signal sections. Plan offline maps — see our OS Maps vs Komoot vs AllTrails comparison.
  • Mountain rescue cover is sparse. The nearest active teams to the Sutherland hills are based at Achfary (Reay Forest) and Assynt — response times can be 2+ hours. The basics on how to call mountain rescue Scotland are worth knowing.
  • Weather changes fast. West-coast hills sit on the leading edge of Atlantic systems — what's clear in Lochinver at breakfast can be in cloud by lunch. Check MWIS and the live weather panel on individual hill pages.
  • Estate access — most of these hills are on sporting estates that manage stalking in autumn (mid-August to mid-October typically). Use Heading for the Scottish Hills to check current stalking dates by estate.
  • Avalanche risk in winter — the SAIS forecast covers the Northern Highlands (NW Highlands) and Wester Ross reports separately. See our avalanche forecast Scotland explainer.

Related Guides

Hill route descriptions, parking and access info are maintained on individual OutdoorSCOT hill pages and updated against current conditions. Stalking dates vary by estate and year — check Heading for the Scottish Hills before any autumn trip. Mobile signal coverage along the NC500 changes incrementally as the network is upgraded — no signal information here is guaranteed long-term.

Sources

TagsNC500munroscorbettshillwalkingscotlandhighlandssuilvenstac pollaidhben hope