Is Feinne-bheinn Mhor a hard climb?

Feinne-bheinn Mhor is rated 1/5 (easy) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Underfoot: Open peat moor with occasional gneiss reefs surfacing through the heather.

What is Feinne-bheinn Mhor's prominence?

178m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Feinne-bheinn Mhor 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 Feinne-bheinn Mhor?

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

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

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Photo: ian shiell / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Marilyn · North-West Highlands

Feinne-bheinn Mhor

Feinne-bheinn Mhor — "big Fingal's hill" — is a 465m whaleback in the NC43 square between Loch Hope and Loch Loyal. Its name links it to the mythical warrior Fingal said to have hunted these moors.

Gaelic: “big” · Pronunciation: feinne bheinn vore

Quick facts

Height: 465m/ 1526ft
Prominence: 178 m
Difficulty: 1 / 5Easy
Grid ref: NC 43440 46264
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

blanket bog 55% · heather moorland 30% · rocky summit 15%

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Elevation profile coming with the GPX track

Park beside Loch Hope on the single-track Tongue road, then strike pathless eastwards across the Allt Crom-allt to the western shoulder. Roughly 5 hours for the round.

Terrain

Open peat moor with occasional gneiss reefs surfacing through the heather. River crossings on the approach can be impassable after heavy rain.

In winter

A frozen Allt Crom-allt makes life easier. The summit is exposed to north-westerly storms straight off Cape Wrath; turn back rather than risk a windward descent.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Feinne-bheinn Mhor. 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

Glasgow7h 36m
Edinburgh7h 22m

OS maps: OS Landranger 9, OS Explorer 447S

Mobile signal: Poor. No coverage across this remote Flow Country hill.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 19mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:45
Sunset: 19:44
Civil dawn: 06:05
Civil dusk: 20:24

NOAA Solar Calculator · 14 September 2026

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Around Feinne-bheinn Mhor on the SCOT network

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

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Lairg station

Central Sutherland; Ben Klibreck approach; gateway to Far North inland

44km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Durness

Cape Wrath base; Smoo Cave; Sandwood Bay walk-in

22km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

Feinne-bheinn Mhor — common questions

Is Feinne-bheinn Mhor a hard climb?: Feinne-bheinn Mhor is rated 1/5 (easy) on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Underfoot: Open peat moor with occasional gneiss reefs surfacing through the heather.
What is Feinne-bheinn Mhor's prominence?: 178m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Feinne-bheinn Mhor 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 Feinne-bheinn Mhor?: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Feinne-bheinn Mhor. 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 Feinne-bheinn Mhor 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 Feinne-bheinn Mhor?: Poor. No coverage across this remote Flow Country hill.
Is Feinne-bheinn Mhor safe in winter?: A frozen Allt Crom-allt makes life easier. The summit is exposed to north-westerly storms straight off Cape Wrath; turn back rather than risk a windward descent.

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