Mountain feature
Bealach
Also called: Pass
Definition
A bealach is a Gaelic term for a mountain pass — the low point between two summits where a walking route crosses from one glen to another. Pronounced approximately 'BYAL-uch' (with the final 'ch' as in loch).
Etymology & origin
From the Gaelic bealach, meaning gap or opening. The same root gives the surname Balloch and a number of Scottish place-names: Balloch on Loch Lomond, Balochbuy on Loch Tay, Ballachulish (Bealach a' Chaolais — 'the pass of the narrows') at the mouth of Loch Leven. Bealach is one of the most-encountered Gaelic words in Scottish hill names because almost every traverse between glens carries a Bealach name.
Context & usage
Bealachs are the connecting points in Scottish hill walking. The Bealach na Bà ('pass of the cattle') above Applecross is the most famous, carrying one of the highest roads in Britain. The Bealach an Toll Lochain between Liathach and Beinn Eighe is the high crossing on the Torridon traverse. The Lairig Ghru — strictly a 'lairig' not a 'bealach' but functionally a pass — is the famous Cairngorms north-south crossing.
When reading a Scottish hill route, the bealach is where you change direction, descend, or commit to a different glen. Stalkers' paths often climb to a bealach and continue on the other side. Mountain bothies are frequently sited at or near a bealach because the same geography that made the pass a walking route also made it a sheltered building spot.
The related Gaelic word lairig refers specifically to a long high-level pass through mountains — typically used for the great Cairngorm crossings (Lairig Ghru, Lairig an Laoigh). Mam (as in Mamores) refers to a rounded pass-and-summit area; cadha refers to a steep narrow gully or pass.
Related terms
Coire
A coire (anglicised as 'corrie') is an armchair-shaped hollow scooped into a mountainside by glacial action. Steep walls on three sides, an open downhill side, often holding a lochan. The same feature is called a cwm in Welsh and a cirque in French.
Meall
Meall is a Gaelic term for a rounded, broad-shouldered hill — typically grassy, less dramatic than Sgurr or Stob summits. Pronounced approximately 'MYAOWL' (one syllable, the 'eall' is a diphthong). Common in central and eastern Highland names.
Where to next
Reviewed 2026-05-28