How difficult is Mam Sodhail?

Mam Sodhail carries a 5/5 (very challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 22km, 1038m of ascent and a 7-11 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: The Glen Affric paths are excellent stalkers tracks for the lower hill.

What is Mam Sodhail's prominence?

132m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Mam Sodhail to the next higher ground.

Where do I park for Mam Sodhail?

Most walkers start from NH200234 near Fort William. 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 Mam Sodhail?

May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Mam Sodhail. 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 Mam Sodhail 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: Steven Brown / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph

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Munro · Kintail

Mam Sodhail

Mam Sodhail is the 1179m Munro at the head of Glen Affric, second-highest peak north of the Great Glen and the southern twin of Carn Eighe. The summit carries the substantial stone-built ruin of one of the great Victorian Ordnance Survey signal stations, used as a primary triangulation point for the 1840s national survey. The view is one of the broadest in the Highlands — west to Skye and the Cuillin, south to Ben Nevis, north into the wild Mullardoch country.

Quick facts

Height: 1179.4m/ 3869ft
Prominence: 132 m
Distance: ~22 km
Ascent: ~1038 m
Time: 7–11 hrs
Difficulty: 5 / 5Expert
Grid ref: NH120253
Parking: NH200234
Nearest: Fort William· Inverness 58km
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 40% · Open hillside 30% · Summit ridge 30%

22km · 1038m ascent · 6.1 hrs

Reach the hill from the road end at Loch Affric (NH200234), following the well-built stalkers paths south up Glean nam Fiadh or west into Coire Leachavie. From either, climb onto the broad south ridge and follow it to the summit. Around 22km return with 1038m of ascent. Almost always combined with Carn Eighe via the connecting bealach — the ridge between the two is one of the finest in the country.

Terrain

The Glen Affric paths are excellent stalkers tracks for the lower hill. The Coire Leachavie ascent is steep grass and rock with a clear path; the ridge above is broad short turf with no exposed sections. The summit area is a wide stony platform dominated by the OS station ruin — a useful landmark in mist. The connecting bealach with Carn Eighe is broad and undemanding.

In winter

A serious winter undertaking. The Coire Leachavie face holds avalanche risk after westerly storms. The summit ridge and the connection to Carn Eighe both develop cornices on the north side. The OS station ruin gives some shelter but is not safe accommodation in real weather. Phone signal is absent; full winter self-sufficiency required.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Mam Sodhail. 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

Glasgow3h 12m
Edinburgh4h 38m

Parking: NH200234

OS maps: OS Landranger 25

Mobile signal: Signal-free from start to summit in Glen Affric. Very remote glen — download offline maps and carry emergency communication.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 50mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:34
Sunset: 20:04
Civil dawn: 05:54
Civil dusk: 20:44

NOAA Solar Calculator · 7 September 2026

Pair with

Curated multi-hill combinations from Mam Sodhail.

Two-hill day
Mam Sodhail + Carn Eighe
Mam Sodhail and Càrn Eighe are a classic northern Highland pairing — linked by a high ridge above superb corrie terrain. Allow a full day (8–9 hours) from the Loch Affric car park.
24km · 1300m ascent · 8 hrs

On a long-distance route

Mam Sodhail sits within 5km of these named long-distance walks — useful for trail-pack rest days or section extensions.

Affric Kintail Way1.9km

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Around Mam Sodhail on the SCOT network

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

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Plockton station

Coastal Wester Ross; Plockton village; Skye Bridge approach

32km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Torridon

Liathach, Beinn Eighe and Beinn Alligin from sea level

38km 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.

Mam Sodhail — common questions

How difficult is Mam Sodhail?: Mam Sodhail carries a 5/5 (very challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 22km, 1038m of ascent and a 7-11 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: The Glen Affric paths are excellent stalkers tracks for the lower hill.
What is Mam Sodhail's prominence?: 132m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Mam Sodhail to the next higher ground.
Where do I park for Mam Sodhail?: Most walkers start from NH200234 near Fort William. 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 Mam Sodhail?: May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Mam Sodhail. 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 Mam Sodhail 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 Mam Sodhail?: Signal-free from start to summit in Glen Affric. Very remote glen — download offline maps and carry emergency communication.
Is Mam Sodhail safe in winter?: A serious winter undertaking. The Coire Leachavie face holds avalanche risk after westerly storms. The summit ridge and the connection to Carn Eighe both develop cornices on the north side. The OS station ruin gives some shelter but is not safe accommodation in real weather. Phone signal is absent; full winter self-sufficiency required.

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