Corbett · Far North
Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein)
Foinaven is the great quartzite ridge of north-west Sutherland — a three-kilometre line of pale white rock running above the Reay Forest peatlands between Rhiconich and Loch Stack. The summit, Ganu Mor at 911m, missed Munro reclassification by a handful of metres in the 1995 resurvey and the demotion is still local legend. Five distinct tops on the crest, drops east into the corries above Loch Dionard, and views to Cape Wrath that take in some of the emptiest country in Britain.
Gaelic: “big” · Pronunciation: foinaven ganu more (foinne bhein)
Quick facts
- Height
- 911.05m/ 2989ft
- Prominence
- 688 m
- Distance
- 24 km
- Ascent
- 1100 m
- Time
- 7–11 hrs
- Grid ref
- NC315506
- Nearest
- Ullapool
- 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
peatland approach 35% · quartzite blocks 40% · open ridge 20% · summit boulders 5%
The standard ascent leaves the A838 at a layby just north of Gualin House. A vague path crosses the wet moorland of the Allt na Claise Càrnaich for around 4km, gaining height steadily, before joining the broad south ridge near A' Cheir Ghorm. From there the route follows the quartzite crest north over A' Cheir Ghorm, Lord Reay's Seat and on to Ganu Mor at the far northern end. Return by the same line, or descend west via Coire na Lice to vary the day. Allow 8–10 hours.
Terrain
Two distinct halves. The lower 4km is featureless wet peat — slow in any conditions, miserable in rain. From around 500m the terrain transforms into the polished quartzite blocks Foinaven is famous for: large, generally stable, but slippery when wet or iced. The crest is exposed with significant drops east into Coire Dubh and the cliffs above Loch Dionard.
In winter
In winter Foinaven becomes a serious mountaineering objective. Polished quartzite under verglas is treacherous, the peatland approach freezes into ice or stays liquid depending on the temperature, and the lack of phone signal makes self-reliance total. In settled winter conditions it stands as a particularly fine ridge walks in Scotland — but it stops being a hillwalk.
Best time of year
Getting there
- Glasgow6h 30m
- Edinburgh6h 37m
OS maps: OS Landranger 9
Mobile signal: No usable signal anywhere on the mountain — the Reay Forest is a known blackspot. EE occasionally reaches the A838 itself at Gualin.
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 04:40
- Sunset
- 22:11
- Civil dawn
- 03:35
- Civil dusk
- 23:17
NOAA Solar Calculator · 17 July 2026
Pair with
Curated multi-hill combinations from Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein).
Around Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein) on the SCOT network
Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.
Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein) — common questions
- How difficult is Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein)?
- Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein) carries a 4/5 (challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 24km, 1100m of ascent and a 7-11 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: Two distinct halves.
- What is Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein)'s prominence?
- 688m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein) to the next higher ground.
- When is the best time to climb Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein)?
- May, June, July, August, September give the most reliable conditions on Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein). Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.
- Is Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein) dog-friendly?
- Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.
- Is there mobile signal on Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein)?
- No usable signal anywhere on the mountain — the Reay Forest is a known blackspot. EE occasionally reaches the A838 itself at Gualin.
- Is Foinaven - Ganu Mor (Foinne Bhein) safe in winter?
- In winter Foinaven becomes a serious mountaineering objective. Polished quartzite under verglas is treacherous, the peatland approach freezes into ice or stays liquid depending on the temperature, and the lack of phone signal makes self-reliance total. In settled winter conditions it stands as a particularly fine ridge walks in Scotland — but it stops being a hillwalk.
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