Stac Pollaidh, the most visited peak in the north-
west Highlands. Photograph: Andy Sutton / Alamy
Difficulty
Moderate
Distance
2.5 miles/4km
Typical duration
2 hours
Start and finish
Stac Pollaidh car park on the Achiltibuie road
Map
OS Landranger 15
In a nutshell
Nothing can quite prepare you for the stark beauty of Scotland's far north-west, and climbing Stac Pollaidh shows off this area at its very best, treating you to panoramic views over Britain's great wilderness. Other than a very steep climb to the ridge, the rewards far outweigh the effort, with relatively straightforward terrain to negotiate.
Be prepared for a short, simple scramble to reach the ridge (easily manageable, just take extra care), from which you'll enjoy the kind of views that you'd expect to have to climb for miles to experience – and you might even spot a golden eagle or red deer.
Why it's special
Rising from a maze of small lochs and rocky outcrops, the mountains in this region possess a surreal quality that owes as much to the other-worldly emptiness of their surroundings as the suddenness with which they rise from them.
Photograph: Graham Uney / Alamy
Stac Pollaidh is a colossal ice-smoothed lump with a distinctive spiky-topped ridge. It has been of fascination to geologists for years. Consisting of chocolate-red sandstone, it rests on the Precambrian metamorphic bedrock of Lewisian Gneiss, formed 1,500 million years ago.
As this is the most visited peak in the north-west Highlands, Stac Pollaidh saw a lot of erosion, its surface being worn away by the footsteps of the people who flocked here seeking the beautiful views. These days, the mountain has a constructed path, making the climb up much easier and helping with navigation too.
This route heads up steadily, the final ascent is very steep, well worth the effort to reach the ridge. Gaze south and west and you'll be looking over Loch Lugainn to the Summer Isles in the mouth of Loch Broom. Look north and you'll see the staggeringly beautiful Inverpolly Nature Reserve and the peaks of Assynt beyond.
Word of warning: the weather can deteriorate rapidly, making the path more difficult to follow, so be sure to check the forecast in advance and ensure you've adequate clothing in case the weather does turn.
Reward yourself
There's no pub or cafe in this remote location, but Am Fuaran is a gem of a bar, tucked away on the tip of the Coigach peninsula in Altandhu. Famed for its seafood, it's worth a short drive to enjoy the sunset over a quiet pint and a plate of local poached salmon or prawns (amfuaran.co.uk).
Get there
Scotbus 811 runs from Ullapool to Reiff, passing Stac Pollaidh car park. Unfortunately, the gap between the outward and return services doesn't always leave enough time to climb the mountain. Check the timetable at travelinescotland.com. By road, Stac Pollaidh is off the A835 from Ullapool.
For step-by-step details and maps go to ramblers.org.uk/stac
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