How difficult is Beinn Tharsuinn?

Beinn Tharsuinn carries a 4/5 (challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 13km, 582m of ascent and a 4-6 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: Forestry edges and quad tracks are useful for the lower half; above the trees the going is on damp heather and peat hags.

What is Beinn Tharsuinn's prominence?

176m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Beinn Tharsuinn to the next higher ground.

When is the best time to climb Beinn Tharsuinn?

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

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

By Gary Innes

Photo: Calum McRoberts / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Graham · Central Highlands

Beinn Tharsuinn

Beinn Tharsuinn (710m) — the transverse hill — at NH41 sits north of the Cromarty Firth between Strath Rusdale and Glen Glass, in the rolling Easter Ross uplands. Several Scottish hills share this name (transverse to a glen line); this is the eastern-Highland example. The small summit cairn looks over Loch Morie and east to the Moray Firth coast, with Ben Wyvis as the dominant skyline to the south-west.

Quick facts

Height: 710m/ 2329ft
Prominence: 176 m
Distance: 13 km
Ascent: 582 m
Time: 4–6 hrs
Difficulty: 4 / 5Serious
Grid ref: NH412829
Nearest: Ullapool· Inverness 45km
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

heather moorland 60% · grass and sedge 25% · rocky ridge 15%

13km · 582m ascent · 3.6 hrs

From a parking pull-in on the Boath/Strath Rusdale road, take the long estate track north-west across moor and around forestry plantations, then climb the south-east shoulder onto the broad summit. Some 13km return with 582m of cumulative climb. The route is unfrequented and a quad-line gives intermittent help.

Terrain

Forestry edges and quad tracks are useful for the lower half; above the trees the going is on damp heather and peat hags. The transverse summit ridge has several false tops — the true high point carries a small loose cairn. Reseeded sitka plantations on the lower flanks mean access can be diverted year-to-year.

In winter

East-coast snowfall is lighter than the west but Easter Ross hills accumulate windslab in northerlies sweeping in over the Dornoch Firth. Plantation tracks may be blocked by windthrow — check estate notices.

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 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

Glasgow4h 12m
Edinburgh4h 20m

OS maps: OS Landranger 20, OS Explorer 437

Mobile signal: Patchy. EE sometimes connects on the upper ridge; otherwise poor in this Easter Ross interior.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

17h 18mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 05:34
Sunset: 21:14
Civil dawn: 04:45
Civil dusk: 22:03

NOAA Solar Calculator · 11 August 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: Ardgay station

Kyle of Sutherland; Croick; Far North Line

20km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Ullapool

Main NW Highlands hub; Hebrides ferry; Inverpolly access

30km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: The Dalmore

Alness — sherried Highland flagship; stately Cromarty Firth setting

28km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

Beinn Tharsuinn — common questions

How difficult is Beinn Tharsuinn?: Beinn Tharsuinn carries a 4/5 (challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 13km, 582m of ascent and a 4-6 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: Forestry edges and quad tracks are useful for the lower half; above the trees the going is on damp heather and peat hags.
What is Beinn Tharsuinn's prominence?: 176m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Beinn Tharsuinn to the next higher ground.
When is the best time to climb Beinn Tharsuinn?: May, June, July, August, September give the most reliable conditions on Beinn Tharsuinn. 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 Beinn Tharsuinn 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 Beinn Tharsuinn?: Patchy. EE sometimes connects on the upper ridge; otherwise poor in this Easter Ross interior.
Is Beinn Tharsuinn safe in winter?: East-coast snowfall is lighter than the west but Easter Ross hills accumulate windslab in northerlies sweeping in over the Dornoch Firth. Plantation tracks may be blocked by windthrow — check estate notices.

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