The Five Sisters of Kintail

Rhys Dobbs

Sep 23

7 min read

THE DAY AT A GLANCE

📍 Start: Glen Shiel car park, A87 — NH009135

⛰️ Distance: Approx. 12.4 km / 7.75 miles

⬆️ Elevation Gain: Approx. 1,400 m

🏔️ Munros Achieved: 3

⏱️ Typical Time: 8–10 hours

🏁 Finish: Allt a’ Chruinn

🚗 Route: Point-to-point — transport required

MUNROS

1. Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe - 1,027m

2. Sgùrr na Càrnach - 1,002m

3. Sgùrr Fhuaran — 1,067m

OPTIONAL EXTENSION

Sgùrr na Mòraich — 876 m

Corbett Top — an optional extension beyond the main three Munros.

🟠 AMBER CHALLENGE

A serious mountain day. The Five Sisters is a long and strenuous ridge walk, a spectacular high-level ridge with rocky ground, steep ascents and some enjoyable scrambling.

After the third and final Munro, Sgùrr Fhuaran, there are options to descend or continue west along the ridge, taking in the additional summits before the long descent towards Allt a’ Chruinn.

Expect a full day in the mountains, with significant ascent and descent, exposed sections and challenging terrain.

Fitness: 4/5

Terrain: 4/5

Exposure: 3/5

Navigation: 3/5

Overall: 🟠 AMBER

Don't underestimate this one.

The Five Sisters of Kintail — Kintail

If you're looking for a proper Highland adventure, the Five Sisters of Kintail should be high on the list.

Set on the north side of Glen Shiel, this famous ridge is one of the classic mountain days in the Highlands. Three Munros, steep climbs, rocky ridges, scrambling, big drops and some seriously impressive scenery make this a route that demands both fitness and respect.

The name itself comes from an old Highland legend.

According to the story, seven sisters lived in Kintail. The two youngest fell in love with Irish princes, who promised to return with five brothers so the remaining sisters could also marry. When the princes failed to return, the five sisters were said to have been transformed into mountains, where they continue to wait.

We headed out from the Glen Shiel car park, taking the route west along the ridge before eventually dropping down towards Allt a' Chruinn. And the day started with one thing very clear .... there was no easy way onto this ridge.

The Five Sisters ©elevenfortyone

The Start — Straight Up

We left the car at the Glen Shiel car park, just off the A87, and headed towards Bealach an Lapain.

There isn't much of a warm-up here.

The path immediately begins climbing, and for roughly the next hour it's a long, relentless pull upwards. The route gains around 550 metres in less than a kilometre, so the legs are working almost from the moment you leave the car.

It's the kind of climb where pacing yourself becomes important very quickly.

We settled into a steady rhythm, gradually gaining height as Glen Shiel opened up behind us. Looking back, the A87 became smaller and smaller while the mountains surrounding the glen began to take over the landscape.

The gradient eventually eases as we reach Bealach an Lapain.

After that opening climb, the character of the day changes.

The ridge is waiting.

First Munro — Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe

From the bealach, we turned onto the ridge and began heading towards Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe, the first of the three Munros.

At 1,027 metres, this is where the Five Sisters really begin to feel like a proper mountain day.

The ridge undulates towards the summit, with rocky sections and increasingly dramatic views opening out across Kintail.

As we climbed higher, the cloud began rolling across the mountains.

It was one of those September days where the weather seemed to constantly change. One minute the cliffs were visible in full, the next they disappeared into cloud before reappearing again a few moments later. It made the landscape feel even more dramatic. We reached the summit of Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe and took in the views down towards Loch Duich.

Munro number one.

The day was underway.

©elevenfortyone

The Ridge — Where the Fun Starts

From Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe, the route continues along the ridge towards the next summit.

This is where the Five Sisters really start to earn their reputation.

The terrain becomes rougher and rockier, with steep descents and climbs between the summits. There are sections of straightforward scrambling along the ridge, and although nothing felt overly technical, it was enough to keep us focused on where we were putting our feet.

The cloud continued to hug the cliffs around us, creating some incredible moments where the ridge would suddenly disappear into the mist before emerging again.

This was exactly the sort of mountain weather we'd hoped for.

Not necessarily perfect blue skies — but something far more atmospheric.

Looking across the ridge, the shape of the Five Sisters becomes obvious. The peaks rise and fall in a dramatic line, giving the route a real sense of progression.

One summit leads to another.

And there's no shortcut.

Munro Number Two — Sgùrr na Càrnach

The route eventually brings us to Sgùrr na Càrnach, standing at 1,002 metres.

The terrain remains steep and rocky, and by now the legs were beginning to notice the work that had already gone into the day.

Sgùrr na Càrnach only became a Munro in 1997, having previously been classified as a Munro Top. For us, however, the important thing was simple.

Two down.

One to go.

The route drops again before beginning the climb towards the highest point of the Five Sisters. And this is where the ridge really starts to show its scale.

Sgùrr na Càrnach ©elevenfortyone

The Highest Sister — Sgùrr Fhuaran

Ahead stood Sgùrr Fhuaran. At 1,067 metres, it is the highest of the Five Sisters and the third and final Munro of the day. The climb towards the summit is steep and bouldery, and after everything we'd already covered, it was a serious final push. But the higher we climbed, the better the views became.

The cloud continued to roll across the cliffs, occasionally opening up to reveal huge views across Glen Shiel and the surrounding mountains. Then we reached the summit.

1,067 metres.

Three Munros complete.

The traditional Five Sisters challenge was done.

But our day wasn't over.

Not even close.

Don't Switch Off Yet

This is one of the most important things to remember about the Five Sisters.

Reaching Sgùrr Fhuaran does not mean you've finished.

From the summit, there are options. You can descend from the west ridge towards Glen Shiel, but if you're continuing the full ridge route, the adventure carries on towards Sgùrr nan Saighead and Beinn Bhuidhe.

We decided to keep going.

And this turned out to be some of the most dramatic terrain of the whole day.

The ridge narrows and the ground becomes increasingly rocky, with steep drops disappearing into the cloud.

Sgùrr nan Saighead itself isn't a Munro, but it's well worth keeping to the ridge rather than simply bypassing it. The northern side of the peak provides some of the steepest and most impressive terrain on the entire route.

With the cloud hanging onto the cliffs, it felt like we were walking through the mountains rather than simply looking at them.

Sgùrr nan Saighead ©elevenfortyone

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The Fifth Sister

Beyond Sgùrr nan Saighead, the ridge continues towards Beinn Bhuidhe.

There are options here to descend, but if you've still got the legs — and the weather is behaving — you can continue further towards Sgùrr na Mòraich, often referred to as the fifth sister.

One important point, though: Sgùrr na Mòraich is a Corbett Top rather than a full Corbett.

Standing at around 876 metres, it gives another summit to the day and completes the traditional five-summit line associated with the Five Sisters.

By this point, however, we'd already had a full day on our feet.

Three Munros.

Several rocky summits.

Plenty of scrambling.

And a whole lot of ascent.

The decision to continue should always depend on conditions, daylight, fitness and how the group is feeling.

The Long Way Down

Eventually, the high ridge has to end. From the ridge, we began the long descent towards Allt a' Chruinn. This is where the character of the walk changes again. The high rocky ground gradually gives way to rougher lower slopes, boggy sections and eventually a more established path following the Allt a' Chruinn. The stream runs down through the glen, with a waterfall providing a welcome landmark as the route continues towards the lower ground.

After spending so many hours above the glen, it was strange to finally see the landscape opening out again. But there was still a fair way to go.

The path eventually improves as it follows the line of the old stalkers' path, before winding its way down towards Allt a' Chruinn. And after a long day in the mountains, that final section feels every bit as long as you'd expect.

Getting Back to the Car

The standard Five Sisters route is a point-to-point walk, so transport needs to be organised before you start.

The usual arrangement is to leave one vehicle at Allt a' Chruinn and use another to get to the Glen Shiel car park at the start.

That means when you finish the ridge, your vehicle is waiting at the other end.

It's a small detail, but one worth sorting before you set off.

After a day of around 12.4 km and 1,400 metres of ascent, the last thing you want is to discover you've still got to walk several miles back to the car.

And unlike our Brothers Ridge adventure, there's no need to rely on remembering where you've left the keys...

Although we'd still recommend checking.

Twice.

1141 Adventures Verdict

The Five Sisters of Kintail are famous for a reason.

From the moment you leave the Glen Shiel car park, the route demands something from you. The opening climb is steep and relentless, the ridge is rough and rocky, and the three Munros provide a proper mountain day from start to finish. But it's the variety that makes the route special. You've got the huge views over Glen Shiel, rocky ridges, exposed sections, scrambling, steep ascents and the constantly changing Highland weather.

On our September adventure, the rolling cloud hugging the cliffs made the whole ridge feel even more dramatic.

And then there's the folklore.

Standing amongst the peaks, it's easy to understand how stories grew around these mountains. The Five Sisters aren't simply five summits on a map — they're part of the identity and character of Kintail.