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WALK 1

A round of the Rum Cuillin

Start	Path along the Allt Slugan by Kinloch Castle (NM 402 995)
Distance	27km (17 miles); to Dibidil bothy 18.5km (11½ miles); shorter Hallival and Askival route 11km (7 miles)
Total Ascent	2025m (6645ft); shorter Hallival and Askival route 1220m (4000ft)
Time	9–10hrs (to Dibidil bothy 6–7hrs); shorter Hallival and Askival route 4½–5½hrs
Map	OS Explorer 397: OS Landranger 39

A round of the Rum Cuillin makes for a magnificent and challenging day in the hills and usually features somewhere on the ‘to-do’ list of Scottish mountain aficionados. A complete round can take ten hours and visits the summits of Barkeval (591m), Hallival (722m), Askival (812m), Trollaval (700m), Ainshval (781m) Sgùrr nan Goibhrean (759m) and Sgùrr nan Gillean (764m). Outlying Ruinsival (528m) can also be included if returning to Kinloch via Harris.

Although providing the finest mountaineering tour in the islands, outside Skye, the traverse of the Rum Cuillin is nowhere near as difficult as the main ridge of the Black Cuillin of Skye. It requires some moderate scrambling and no climbing other than a couple of short sections that are easily avoided. However, this is not an endeavour to be taken lightly. The route requires a substantial physical effort, involving 2025m of ascent and descent. There are several airy and exposed sections and the weather can change very quickly. While the northermost hills are formed largely of basalt and gabbro – a coarse-grained rock beloved of climbers and hill walkers for its excellent grip – the fine-grained felsite capping the southern peaks can be slippery in wet conditions.

It is essential that you have a good level of fitness, good navigation skills and are properly equipped before attempting a round of the Rum Cuillin. Ensure that you have plenty of daylight for completing the route and check weather forecasts before setting out; it is not a walk for very wet, windy conditions or poor visibility.

A stile with a small sign reading ‘To the Rum Cuillin’ crosses a fence next to the road 100 metres south of Kinloch Castle. The path follows the right bank of the Allt Slugan through woodland and past the island’s generator before emerging onto rising open ground. The path is distinct and easy to follow as it climbs beside the river. Cross several burns flowing into the river along the way, go through a gateway in an old deer fence and pass a small sluice dam before reaching the Coire Dubh at around 270m.

Continue on level ground along the path by the Allt Slugan before arriving at a partially collapsed old stone dam. Cross the river here – this is where the path marked on the OS Explorer map runs out. A short distance ahead, 180 metres above the corrie to the south-west, is the low point of the Bealach Bairc-mheall (466m) between Barkeval and Hallival. The path running directly up to the bealach isn't very obvious at first, but it keeps to the left of the burn that tumbles into the corrie.

Shortcut via Cnapan Breaca

For those not including Barkeval, a more distinct path skirts around the eastern side of the corrie as it climbs up to the shoulder of the Cnapan Breaca. Thereafter the path fades, but it is straightforward to climb south-south-west from here to the bealach below Hallival. This route provides no great advantage over climbing directly to the bealach.

From the bealach climb 110m north-west to the first cairn (575m) on the summit ridge of Barkeval. The summit proper is over 600 metres west beyond the first cairn. Continue west, passing around a couple of weathered basalt outcrops and pick up a vague path to the summit cairn (591m). Finding the summit can be tricky in poor visibility.

The superlative views south and south-east on to the main peaks of the Rum Cuillin, towering over the Atlantic Corrie, are reason enough to include Barkeval in the traverse. In clear conditions there are fine views south-west down Glen Harris, north-west to the rounded granite hills of Sròn an t-Saighdeir, Orval, Ard Nev and Fionchra and north to the Cuillin of Skye.

Heading east to the Bealach Bairc-mheall, from the summit of Barkeval – Hallival looms above the Atlantic Corrie

Retrace your route to the bealach, then follow the long, steadily rising ridge south-east to Hallival. From below, a band of cliffs – formed of a unique variety of gabbro known as allivalite – run around the summit and appear to present something of an obstacle. However, a route through these cliffs can be found without difficulty by keeping to the north-west ridge.

The summit is marked by a cairn and the views on a clear day are tremendous, particularly on to Askival and its impressive north ridge. Beyond Askival, the summits of Trollaval, Ainshval, Sgùrr nan Goibhrean and Sgùrr nan Gillean are visible.

From the cairn, continue initially south-west across the summit to begin the 120m descent to the bealach, following a path. To avoid steep crags on the south-east face, descend steeply following the faint path through rocky terrain on the west side of the ridge briefly before trending south-west again to continue down to the bealach. The path climbs a little over a rocky knoll before crossing the bealach and gaining the narrow, grassy north ridge of Askival.

Where the ridge arrives beneath the steep crags rising up to the summit on the north and north-west faces of the mountain, at around 650m, follow the path off the ridge as it skirts around Askival’s east flank, contouring and rising gradually at first before climbing more steeply and sinuously through rocky terrain to the summit – its upward progress marked by a number of small cairns. Numerous Manx shearwater burrows perforate the grassy slopes between the rock tiers on the mountain’s flanks. The summit is marked with a natural stone triangulation pillar encircled by a low shelter wall, and on a clear day the views over to Eigg, Ardnamurchan and Moidart are magnificent. The Dibidil Horseshoe route (Walk 2) joins the route here.

Alternative shorter walk: Hallival and Askival out and return from Kinloch

Follow the route description above as far as the summit of Askival. Retrace your route back down the north ridge of Askival to the bealach. From the bealach, descend 50m north-west into the Atlantic Corrie to around 550m then contour around beneath Hallival, finally descending around 90m to rejoin the Bealach Bairc-mheall. From the bealach retrace your route into the Coire Dubh then follow the Allt Slugan path back to Kinloch Castle.

From the summit of Askival, descend along the vague path which initially stays in the lee of the west ridge on its south side. As the path descends, it eventually joins the west ridge. The terrain is rocky in places, but the 360m descent to the Bealach an Oir (455m) presents no problems.

The bealach lies at the head of Glen Dibidil and the view south-east along the glen to Eigg, Muck and the mainland beyond is rather fine. On its north side, the bealach drops away into the immense amphitheatre of the Atlantic Corrie with views over to Barkeval and Hallival. To the south-west, forming the western flank of Glen Dibidil, are the imposing triumvirate of Ainshval, Sgùrr nan Goibhrean and Sgùrr nan Gillean.

Escape route