How hard is Garbh-bheinn?

We grade Garbh-bheinn at 3/5, which puts it in moderately challenging territory. The usual route is around 15km with 711m of climbing; allow 5-8 hours. Underfoot: Lower slopes are wet heather and bog with no path.

What is Garbh-bheinn's prominence?

181m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Garbh-bheinn to the next higher ground.

Where do I park for Garbh-bheinn?

Most walkers start from NG561217 near Fort William. Verify the grid reference on an OS map before you set off — space is tight on busy summer weekends.

When is the best time to climb Garbh-bheinn?

May, June, July, August, September give the most reliable conditions on Garbh-bheinn. 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 Garbh-bheinn dog-friendly?

Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.

By the OutdoorSCOT editor

Photo: John Allan / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

Submit a photo

Corbett · Skye & The Small Isles

Garbh-bheinn

The Skye Garbh-bheinn is the easternmost of the Cuillin Hills proper — a rough gabbro peak that sits across Loch Slapin from Bla Bheinn but is geologically and visually a Black Cuillin outlier. At 808m the rocky summit gives an outstanding close-range view of the Cuillin ridge to the west and Bla Bheinn directly opposite. Like the rest of the Cuillin, the rock is rough magnetic gabbro that grips like sandpaper in dry conditions.

Gaelic: “rough” · Pronunciation: garrav bheinn

Quick facts

Height: 808.3m/ 2652ft
Prominence: 181 m
Distance: ~15 km
Ascent: ~711 m
Time: 5–8 hrs
Difficulty: 3 / 5Strenuous
Grid ref: NG531232
Parking: NG561217
Nearest: Fort William
Dogs: Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

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

No GPX track yet

Walked this route? Share your track to help other walkers.

Submit your GPX

Standard route

lochside path 20% · open heather 30% · gabbro blocks 40% · summit area 10%

15km · 711m ascent · 4.2 hrs

Start from the small lay-by at the south end of Loch Slapin on the B8083 between Broadford and Elgol. Follow the path west toward Bla Bheinn for a short distance before peeling off north up the broad south-east shoulder of Garbh-bheinn. The route is pathless from the lower hill onward, climbing through heather and onto rough gabbro blocks. Around 15km return with 711m of ascent. Strong scramblers extend over to Bla Bheinn for a long day.

Terrain

Lower slopes are wet heather and bog with no path. The middle hillside transitions to firm gabbro blocks and short rocky steps. The upper hill is bare gabbro pavement with the summit cairn on a rocky promontory. Note that Cuillin gabbro distorts compass readings — magnetic anomaly affects navigation across much of this hill. Easy walking with brief hand-on-rock moves; no exposure on the standard line.

In winter

A serious winter Corbett — gabbro covered in verglas is treacherous, and the summit area becomes a proper mountaineering objective. The lower bog freezes into ice slick. Maritime conditions mean rapid swings. The B8083 is generally clear.

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

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Garbh-bheinn. 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 39m
Edinburgh4h 23m

Parking: NG561217

OS maps: OS Landranger 32

Mobile signal: Intermittent at Loch Slapin; blank on the upper hill

Current conditions

Daylight Today

11h 49mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 07:55
Sunset: 18:26
Civil dawn: 07:16
Civil dusk: 19:05

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 October 2026

Pair with

Curated multi-hill combinations from Garbh-bheinn.

Two-hill day
Garbh-bheinn + Glamaig - Sgurr Mhairi
Link Garbh Bheinn with Glamaig for a full Skye Red Cuillin day
20km · 1600m ascent · 10 hrs

Got a photo of Garbh-bheinn?

30 seconds, helps other walkers.

Submit a photo

Walked it with a GPX?

From your watch or phone.

Submit GPX

Trip report?

Share what it was actually like.

Get in touch →

Around Garbh-bheinn on the SCOT network

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

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Kyle of Lochalsh station

Skye Bridge; Five Sisters of Kintail; Glen Shiel; Plockton

23km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Portree

Main Skye base — Cuillin, Trotternish, Storr

21km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Isle of Raasay Distillery

Raasay — new island distillery with rooms; Dun Caan walks from the door

13km from the hill

tastescot.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.

Garbh-bheinn — common questions

How hard is Garbh-bheinn?: We grade Garbh-bheinn at 3/5, which puts it in moderately challenging territory. The usual route is around 15km with 711m of climbing; allow 5-8 hours. Underfoot: Lower slopes are wet heather and bog with no path.
What is Garbh-bheinn's prominence?: 181m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Garbh-bheinn to the next higher ground.
Where do I park for Garbh-bheinn?: Most walkers start from NG561217 near Fort William. Verify the grid reference on an OS map before you set off — space is tight on busy summer weekends.
When is the best time to climb Garbh-bheinn?: May, June, July, August, September give the most reliable conditions on Garbh-bheinn. 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 Garbh-bheinn 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 Garbh-bheinn?: Intermittent at Loch Slapin; blank on the upper hill
Is Garbh-bheinn safe in winter?: A serious winter Corbett — gabbro covered in verglas is treacherous, and the summit area becomes a proper mountaineering objective. The lower bog freezes into ice slick. Maritime conditions mean rapid swings. The B8083 is generally clear.

Get the OutdoorSCOT weekly

One email a week — new route, hill and bothy guides, seasonal conditions and the odd hard-won lesson. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.