How difficult is Rois-Bheinn?

Rois-Bheinn carries a 3/5 (moderately challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 16km, 776m of ascent and a 5-8 hour day on the standard route. Ground conditions: Lower slopes through bracken and birch are damp and tick-prone in summer.

How much drop does Rois-Bheinn have?

The drop is 524m: measured from the summit of Rois-Bheinn down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.

Where's the parking for Rois-Bheinn?

Park at NM764824. 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 Rois-Bheinn?

Aim for May, June, July, August, September on Rois-Bheinn. 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 Rois-Bheinn?

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: Michael Earnshaw / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Corbett · Moidart

Rois-Bheinn

Rois-Bheinn is the highest and most westerly of the four-Corbett ridge that rises straight out of the sea between Lochailort and Loch Eilt — a hill whose 882m summit feels far higher because it stands almost directly above tidewater. The traverse east to west over Sgurr na Ba Glaise and An Stac is regarded as one of the finest mainland Corbett ridges, mixing grass, slabs and short rocky steps, with the Sound of Arisaig and the Small Isles laid out beneath. The summit cairn sits on the wreckage of an old trig point.

Quick facts

Height: 882.4m/ 2895ft
Prominence: 524 m
Distance: ~16 km
Ascent: ~776 m
Time: 5–8 hrs
Difficulty: 3 / 5Strenuous
Grid ref: NM756778
Parking: NM764824
Nearest city: Fort William· 35km
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

glen track 20% · heather and bog 25% · rocky ridge 40% · summit rocks 15%

16km · 776m ascent · 4.5 hrs

Most parties start from the lay-by near Lochailort station on the A861 and follow the path up Coire a Bhuiridh to gain the eastern end of the ridge at An Stac. From there the ridge swings west over Sgurr na Ba Glaise and a deep bealach onto the broad final pull to Rois-Bheinn. Around 16km return with 776m of net ascent though the traverse itself accumulates considerably more once the cols are factored in. Returning down the west ridge to the road via Druim Fiaclach is an option in dry conditions.

Terrain

Lower slopes through bracken and birch are damp and tick-prone in summer. The east face onto An Stac is steep and grass-slabby in the wet — many slip here on descent. The ridge itself is generally easy walking with short rocky steps but care is needed at the col between Sgurr na Ba Glaise and Rois-Bheinn where a small step drops off northwards into broken ground.

In winter

A coastal Moidart hill where snow cover is intermittent — single storms can plaster the ridge then strip it again within days. The east face below An Stac becomes a serious slope in full winter conditions and is best avoided in favour of a longer line via the western shoulder. Cornices form along the north side of the main ridge after south-westerly storms. The lochside road is rarely blocked but ice on the path approach is common.

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

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Rois-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 West 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

Glasgow3h 59m
Edinburgh4h 30m

Parking: NM764824

OS maps: OS Landranger 40

Mobile signal: No signal on this remote Moidart coast hill

Current conditions

Daylight Today

11h 49mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 07:53
Sunset: 18:25
Civil dawn: 07:14
Civil dusk: 19:03

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 October 2026

Pair with

Curated multi-hill combinations from Rois-Bheinn.

Two-hill day
Rois-Bheinn + Beinn Odhar Bheag
Classic Moidart pairing with Beinn Odhar Bheag giving a full day on the western coast hills
20km · 1600m ascent · 10 hrs

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Around Rois-Bheinn on the SCOT network

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

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Glenfinnan station

Glenfinnan Viaduct; Streap, Sgurr Thuilm, Glen Finnan Munros

15km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Mallaig

Ferry port for Skye and the Small Isles; CWT finish supply

21km 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.

Rois-Bheinn — common questions

How difficult is Rois-Bheinn?: Rois-Bheinn carries a 3/5 (moderately challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 16km, 776m of ascent and a 5-8 hour day on the standard route. Ground conditions: Lower slopes through bracken and birch are damp and tick-prone in summer.
How much drop does Rois-Bheinn have?: The drop is 524m: measured from the summit of Rois-Bheinn down to the saddle joining it to higher terrain.
Where's the parking for Rois-Bheinn?: Park at NM764824. 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 Rois-Bheinn?: Aim for May, June, July, August, September on Rois-Bheinn. 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 Rois-Bheinn?: 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 Rois-Bheinn?: No signal on this remote Moidart coast hill
Is Rois-Bheinn safe in winter?: A coastal Moidart hill where snow cover is intermittent — single storms can plaster the ridge then strip it again within days. The east face below An Stac becomes a serious slope in full winter conditions and is best avoided in favour of a longer line via the western shoulder. Cornices form along the north side of the main ridge after south-westerly storms. The lochside road is rarely blocked but ice on the path approach is common.

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