How hard is An Cruachan?

We grade An Cruachan at 1/5, which puts it in easy territory. Underfoot: Steep, springy heather covers most of the slope, broken by small basalt steps.

What is An Cruachan's prominence?

223m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links An Cruachan to the next higher ground. That drop is what qualifies it as a Marilyn — a hill with at least 150m of descent on every side.

When is the best time to climb An Cruachan?

March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on An Cruachan. 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 An Cruachan dog-friendly?

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

By Gary

Photo: Richard Webb / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Marilyn · Skye & The Small Isles

An Cruachan

An Cruachan is a conical 435m hill standing between Drynoch and Loch Harport on Skye. Its isolated position gives a far better summit panorama than the height suggests, taking in the full Cuillin skyline.

Quick facts

Height: 435m/ 1427ft
Prominence: 223 m
Difficulty: 1 / 5Easy
Grid ref: NG 38177 22503
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 55% · grass and bracken 30% · rocky summit 15%

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Elevation profile coming with the GPX track

A short, sharp ascent from the B8009 near Drynoch, climbing the south-west flank directly. Roughly 4 km return with a steep middle section through heather.

Terrain

Steep, springy heather covers most of the slope, broken by small basalt steps. No path of any kind — pick your line and commit.

In winter

Short enough to remain a winter option in poor conditions on the bigger hills. Wind from Loch Harport hits the conical summit hard.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers An Cruachan. 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

Glasgow6h 27m
Edinburgh9h 47m

OS maps: OS Landranger 32, OS Explorer 411

Mobile signal: Poor. Remote island location (Luing/Seil area); limited coverage.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 14mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:53
Sunset: 19:49
Civil dawn: 06:14
Civil dusk: 20:28

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 September 2026

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Around An Cruachan 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

38km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Portree

Main Skye base — Cuillin, Trotternish, Storr

23km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Talisker

Carbost on Skye — Cuillin foothills distillery; peppery, maritime, big-bodied

9km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

An Cruachan — common questions

How hard is An Cruachan?: We grade An Cruachan at 1/5, which puts it in easy territory. Underfoot: Steep, springy heather covers most of the slope, broken by small basalt steps.
What is An Cruachan's prominence?: 223m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links An Cruachan to the next higher ground. That drop is what qualifies it as a Marilyn — a hill with at least 150m of descent on every side.
When is the best time to climb An Cruachan?: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on An Cruachan. 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 An Cruachan 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 An Cruachan?: Poor. Remote island location (Luing/Seil area); limited coverage.
Is An Cruachan safe in winter?: Short enough to remain a winter option in poor conditions on the bigger hills. Wind from Loch Harport hits the conical summit hard.

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