Is Beinn Tharsuinn a hard climb?

Beinn Tharsuinn is rated 3/5 (moderately challenging) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. The standard route covers about 22km with 950m of ascent and takes most walkers 6-9 hours. Ground conditions: Estate track on the long approach — quick walking but tedious in distance.

How much drop does Beinn Tharsuinn have?

The drop is 224m: measured from the summit of Beinn Tharsuinn down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.

Where's the parking for Beinn Tharsuinn?

Park at NH274515 near Ullapool. Double-check the grid reference on an OS map first; informal laybys here fill early in high season.

What's the best month to climb Beinn Tharsuinn?

Aim for May, June, July, August, September, October on Beinn Tharsuinn. In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.

Can dogs go up Beinn Tharsuinn?

Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.

By the OutdoorSCOT editor

Photo: Colin Park / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Corbett · North-West Highlands

Beinn Tharsuinn

Beinn Tharsuinn — 'the transverse hill' — sits at 861m on the watershed between Strathconon and Glen Carron, north of Achnasheen. Its summit looks across at Bidean an Eoin Dèirg, Maoile Lunndaidh and the wide moorland of Strath Bran. Solo ascents are rare; the hill more commonly gets bagged on an extended Strathconon round or in combination with the Attadale Corbett cluster to the south.

Quick facts

Height: 861.2m/ 2825ft
Prominence: 224 m
Distance: ~22 km
Ascent: ~950 m
Time: 6–9 hrs
Difficulty: 3 / 5Strenuous
Grid ref: NH055433
Parking: NH274515
Nearest: Ullapool· Inverness 61km
Dogs: Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

Height and prominence cross-checked against the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY).

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Standard route

stalkers path 30% · rough heather 40% · grassy upper ridge 20% · summit area 10%

22km · 950m ascent · 9 hrs

Drive up Strathconon to the parking near Strathanmore (NH274515), at the end of a long single-track approach past Loch Beannacharain. From there, walking the estate track six kilometres west sets you up to climb north onto the wide south-east shoulder. A long steady pull leads to the summit cairn. For the larger Attadale round, traverse west across Bidean an Eoin Dèirg and beyond. Round trip 9–10 hours.

Terrain

Estate track on the long approach — quick walking but tedious in distance. Off the track, the ground is rough heather and grass dotted with peat hag in the bealachs. The summit area is firm rock and grass with a clear cairn. Drier underfoot than the western Wester Ross hills because of the Strathconon position.

In winter

Snow holds well on the summit ridge through January and February. The long Strathconon drive can be slow and weather-dependent. No avalanche concerns on the standard south-east ridge. A reasonable solo Corbett day in firm conditions but pace it carefully — the round trip from Strathanmore is long for a winter daylight window.

Kit for this: the winter Munro kit list · which boots take crampons

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Beinn Tharsuinn. SAIS forecasts six areas only — Northern and Southern Cairngorms, Creag Meagaidh, Lochaber, Glencoe and Torridon — and this hill is outside all of them, so there is no avalanche forecast to read for it. In winter, use MWIS The Northwest Highlands ↗ for mountain weather, judge snow stability from first principles, and treat any cornice or wind-loaded slope with extra caution.

Best time of year

Best OK Avoid

Getting there

Glasgow4h 34m
Edinburgh4h 59m

Parking: NH274515IV6 7QQ

OS maps: OS Landranger 25

Mobile signal: EE/Vodafone usable in Strathconon village; weakens up the glen; no signal in the upper estate or on the summit

Current conditions

Daylight Today

11h 48mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 07:52
Sunset: 18:22
Civil dawn: 07:13
Civil dusk: 19:01

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 October 2026

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Around Beinn Tharsuinn on the SCOT network

Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Plockton station

Coastal Wester Ross; Plockton village; Skye Bridge approach

26km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Torridon

Liathach, Beinn Eighe and Beinn Alligin from sea level

20km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

Before you go

Hillwalking carries real risk and the responsibility for any day on the hill is yours. Conditions in Scotland change fast and can differ sharply from the forecast — check the weather and the ground before you commit, turn back when the day stops working, and carry map and compass with the ability to use them rather than relying on a phone.

The distance, ascent and time shown on this page are editorial estimates for the usual line, not measurements from a recorded track — that is what the ~ means. Treat them as a rough shape of the day. Your own pace, the conditions and the exact line you take will all move them.

Mountain forecasts: MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast. Access rights and responsibilities are set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

We check what we publish, but we cannot check the route on the day you walk it. Nothing here is a substitute for your own judgement.

Beinn Tharsuinn — common questions

Is Beinn Tharsuinn a hard climb?: Beinn Tharsuinn is rated 3/5 (moderately challenging) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. The standard route covers about 22km with 950m of ascent and takes most walkers 6-9 hours. Ground conditions: Estate track on the long approach — quick walking but tedious in distance.
How much drop does Beinn Tharsuinn have?: The drop is 224m: measured from the summit of Beinn Tharsuinn down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.
Where's the parking for Beinn Tharsuinn?: Park at NH274515 near Ullapool. Double-check the grid reference on an OS map first; informal laybys here fill early in high season.
What's the best month to climb Beinn Tharsuinn?: Aim for May, June, July, August, September, October on Beinn Tharsuinn. In the remaining months treat it as a winter hill — full kit, solid navigation, and a look at the relevant SAIS avalanche forecast before you go.
Can dogs go up Beinn Tharsuinn?: Dogs are fine on a lead. The route passes livestock or ground-nesting bird habitat, so keep them close throughout.
Will I get phone signal on Beinn Tharsuinn?: EE/Vodafone usable in Strathconon village; weakens up the glen; no signal in the upper estate or on the summit
Is Beinn Tharsuinn safe in winter?: Snow holds well on the summit ridge through January and February. The long Strathconon drive can be slow and weather-dependent. No avalanche concerns on the standard south-east ridge. A reasonable solo Corbett day in firm conditions but pace it carefully — the round trip from Strathanmore is long for a winter daylight window.

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