Munro · North-West Highlands
Am Faochagach
Am Faochagach (954m) — "the heather place" — is a solitary, broad whaleback Munro standing isolated above the south side of Loch Glascarnoch in the Northern Highlands. The hill has a reputation as one of the more tedious Munros to reach due to its notoriously boggy approach, but the summit gives surprisingly fine views across to the Beinn Dearg group, the Fannaichs and out to the Cromarty Firth.
Quick facts
- Height
- 953m/ 3127ft
- Prominence
- 367 m
- Distance
- 16 km
- Ascent
- 839 m
- Time
- 6–9 hrs
- Grid ref
- NH303793
- Parking
- NH274751
- Nearest
- Ullapool· Inverness 50km
- 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
Roadside start / moorland 35% · Open hillside 45% · Summit plateau 20%
Park at the small lay-by on the A835 just east of Aultguish Inn (no formal path; check parking is sensible). Walk south across the boggy peat moor of An Garbh Choire — a notoriously slow, wet crossing — to reach the foot of Am Faochagach. Climb the broad north-west ridge directly to the summit cairn. Return reverses the approach. Around 14km return with 870m of ascent — short but uncompromisingly boggy.
Terrain
The An Garbh Choire approach is among the wettest peat-bog crossings of any Munro — slow, tussocky and tiring. The Abhainn an Torrain Duibh river crossing can be impassable after rain. Above the bog the north-west ridge climbs over broad mossy turf without a path. The summit is a small cairn standing on a wide flat top with no defining features. Navigation across the broad summit in cloud requires care.
In winter
A serious Northern Highlands winter day. The boggy approach freezes hard in winter — paradoxically faster going than summer when frozen. The river crossings can be unfordable after snowmelt. The broad summit drifts heavily and offers no features for whiteout navigation. The A835 corridor stays gritted. There is no phone reception on the hill; the relevant forecast area is SAIS Northern Highlands.
This hill is in the Torridon SAIS forecast area. Check SAIS forecasts in winter (December–April).
Best time of year
Getting there
- Glasgow4h 9m
- Edinburgh4h 21m
OS maps: OS Landranger 20
Mobile signal: Signal vanishes above 700m. The A835 at Loch Glascarnoch has intermittent signal. Cache maps ahead of driving from Garve.
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 04:56
- Sunset
- 21:56
- Civil dawn
- 03:57
- Civil dusk
- 22:54
NOAA Solar Calculator · 23 July 2026
Around Am Faochagach on the SCOT network
Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.
Am Faochagach — common questions
- How difficult is Am Faochagach?
- Am Faochagach carries a 5/5 (very challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 16km, 839m of ascent and a 6-9 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: The An Garbh Choire approach is among the wettest peat-bog crossings of any Munro — slow, tussocky and tiring.
- What is Am Faochagach's prominence?
- 367m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Am Faochagach to the next higher ground.
- Where do I park for Am Faochagach?
- Most walkers start from NH274751 near Ullapool. 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 Am Faochagach?
- May, June, July, August, September give the most reliable conditions on Am Faochagach. 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 Am Faochagach 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 Am Faochagach?
- Signal vanishes above 700m. The A835 at Loch Glascarnoch has intermittent signal. Cache maps ahead of driving from Garve.
- Is Am Faochagach safe in winter?
- A serious Northern Highlands winter day. The boggy approach freezes hard in winter — paradoxically faster going than summer when frozen. The river crossings can be unfordable after snowmelt. The broad summit drifts heavily and offers no features for whiteout navigation. The A835 corridor stays gritted. There is no phone reception on the hill; the relevant forecast area is SAIS Northern Highlands.
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