Sgurr na Stri

The lesser (494m) summit of Sgurr na Stri sits, alone, at the southern foot of Glen Sligachan, which divides the Black and Red Cuillin mountains. With a vast view around the entire extent of the jagged, thrilling Black Cuillin ridge, as well as their Red siblings, with superb Loch Coruisk at its foot and the island-speckled sea at its back, one sees a repeated claim that it has Britain's most beautiful view.

The normal approach is a long walk down Glen Sligachan, followed by a climb across the ridge of Sgurr Hain and a traverse and summiting of the Sgurr na Stei ridge. (Approximately 12km one way.)  Glen Sligachan is a superb walk in its own right, as it marches directly below the vast drama of the Black and Red Cuillin. But it is a long haul and is in places boggy work (much harder after rainy conditions than dry), so makes for a very long and tiring day. See more on Glen Sligachan here.

The alternative, which Walkopedia did, is to walk from the  Elgol road to the beautiful Camasunary beach (4km), then turn right to cross the river and climb steeply up into a corrie to the right of Sgurr na Stri, following the left-handed stream, but shifting to its right side in time to go through a small defile. (The path comes and goes, so take care with route finding.) Quite near the top, swing left to gain the high ridge. On the other side, you join the main path and follow faults and balconies on the southern side of the rocky top to reach the summit (3km or so more) and those thrilling views. Walkopedia defies anyone to spend less than half an hour up there.

See William Mackesy’s account of this walk.

Skye has notoriously fickle and often bad weather, and conditions on top can be appalling. It is easy to lose your way in cloud/mist,so not recommended if bad conditions likely. Always come fully prepared.

For more information and photos, including detailed practical information, see our Isle of Skye walk page.