Slioch

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Slioch

Slioch seen from the shores of Loch Maree.
Elevation 981 m (3218 ft)
Location Wester Ross, Flag of Scotland Scotland
Prominence 626 m
Parent peak Sgurr Mor
Topo map OS Landranger 19, OS Explorers 433, 435
OS grid reference NH004688
Listing Munro, Marilyn
Translation the spear (Gaelic)
Pronunciation [sli:ɒx]

Slioch is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands situated in Wester Ross, eight kilometres north of the village of Kinlochewe. Slioch reaches a height of 981 metres (3218 feet) and towers above the south east end of Loch Maree to give one of the best known and most photographed sights (from the A832 road) in the Highlands, indeed VisitScotland, the Scottish national tourist agency, has used video footage of Slioch in its television advertisements.

The mountain is composed of Torridonian sandstone on a base of Lewisian Gneiss and has steep crags on three sides and allows easy access for the walker only from the south east where the large open corrie of Coire na Sleaghaich has two ridges on its flanks which the walker can utilise. The mountain's name comes from the Gaelic word “sleagh” and means “the spear” and this only becomes obvious when Slioch is viewed from Lochan Fada to the west, from here the subsidiary top of Sgurr an Tuill Bhain (Peak of the White Hollow) (933 metres) dominates as a slender peak and gives the mountain its name. Wild goats are often seen on the mountain.

Slioch is climbed almost exclusively from Incheril, one kilometre east of Kinlochewe. Starting from here involves a flat five kilometre approach walk northwest along the banks of the Kinlochewe River and Loch Maree before any climbing begins. An impressive 100 metre high waterfall is passed as it comes down off Beinn a’ Mhuinidh to join the river. When the foot of Gleann Bianasdail is reached the climbing begins: it is a one kilometre walk up the glen to a path that goes left and heads for Coire na Sleaghaich and then up the south east ridge of Slioch passing two small lochans, known to many as the 'twin lochans', to reach the summit of the mountain. The return journey can be varied by taking in the subsidiary top of Sgurr an Tuill Bhain and then descending south into the corrie to join the uphill route.

The summit has twin pinnacles: the southern top has a trig point with a height of 980 metres whilst the northern top is situated on the edge of the cliffs and is a finer viewpoint. In recent years it has been elevated to a height of 981 metres by the Ordnance Survey making it the highest point on the mountain. Slioch’s isolation from other mountains makes the view from the summit top class; it takes in the wilderness of the Fisherfield Forest (in which there are no trees) to the north with its six Munros. The Torridon mountains and Loch Maree are also well seen.

The Fisherfield Munros from Slioch summit.
The Fisherfield Munros from Slioch summit.

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Coordinates: 57.66469° N 5.34796° W