Geo-Trips :: Cùl Beag from the A835
Cùl Beag, Assynt, NW Highlands
A walk from A835 north of Drumrunie, Fri, 2 Jun 2023 by Julian Paren
Cùl Beag is a less popular destination for walkers than its neighbour Cùl Mòr. Cùl Mòr has a good access path from the A835 which rises steadily until the final stiff climb to its summit. Once at Cùl Mòr's summit there are a range of ridges to explore and this makes for a great day out. One of my Cùl Mòr images has been my most viewed on Geograph. NC1512 : On the nose of Sron Gharbh. The day spent on the hill was one of the finest of my trips in recent years.
This trip has been recorded as a Geo-Trip Link.
So, Cùl Beag became an obvious target when my daughter visited as she also accompanied me on Cùl Mòr.
It is a longer access to Cùl Beag and there is an intervening summit to climb named Meall Dearg. The footpath from the A835 starts well with cairns but as Meall Dearg approaches there is no definitive path and you just take any line you fancy to gain the height. The hill is steep. From the top of Meall Dearg there is again no single path to the summit of Cùl Beag. The gradients are less steep in this section.
The views from both Meall Dearg and Cùl Beag are extraordinary - perhaps even more extraordinary than the view from Cùl Mòr. The view embraces the monoliths of Stac Pollaidh, Cùl Mòr and Suilven and the watery wastes surrounding Loch Sionasgaig. This is truly dramatic country.
Walk Highland says the walk can take five hours. My wife, daughter and I took seven hours on a very nice day and much time was spent providing images to illustrate this Geo-Trip.
On the map below, the grey line is the GPS track from this trip. Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )
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Moorland by the A835 south of Knockan
Feur-Loch and Clàr Loch Mòr are the nearest lochans in this empty... more
Fire risk warning by the path to Cùl Beag
Good advice for the dry early summer of 2023.
The path at the end of Lochan Fada
The hill beyond the lochan is Cùl Mòr. The path leads to the... more
The start of the unmapped path to access Cùl Beag from the east
At the start the path is clear to follow and the mountain objective obvious on a... more
On the path crossing Leathad Doire Ruaidh
The feature named in Gaelic Leathad is a broad ridge. A fitting description for... more
Moorland of Leathad Doire Ruaidhe
A rather featureless and large expanse of moorland but broken by one woodland strip.
Picking a route up Meall Dearg
By now on the ascent of Meall Dearg no obvious path had any continuity, so any... more
Creag Dhubh viewed from the slope of Meall Dearg
Creag Dhubh is a line of crags above the valley of the Allt an Lòin Duibhe.
Summit cairn, Meall Dearg
Loch Sionasgaig dominates the view to the north.
Cùl Beag from Meall Dearg
A descent and re-ascent are needed to attain the summit of Cùl Beag.
Loch an Doire Dhuibh and Loch Sionasgaig from Meall Dearg
From this viewpoint the nearer Loch an Doire Dhuibh is enclosed on the left by... more
Lochan Uaine between Cùl Beag and Meall Dearg
The lochan lies at the col between the two hills.
Pile of stones on the side of Cùl Beag
The many mini-cairns seemed to serve little purpose.
Terrain near the summit of Cùl Beag
Looking back to Meall Dearg having regained the height lost in the drop to the col.
Approaching the summit of Cùl Beag
The distant wasteland of Loch Sionasgaig and Suilven were in the sun that was... more
Loch Lurgain and Stac Pollaidh from Cùl Beag
A view worth climbing a hill for.
Looking down the north ridge of Cùl Beag from the summit
An impressive view of lochs and isolated mountains. Suilven is seen behind the... more
View NW from Cùl Beag
This image is a stitch of three overlapping images taken with a 35mm lens on a... more
View from Cùl Beag towards the NW
A mass of water and the isolated monoliths of Cùl Mòr and Suilven.... more
Looking over Cìoch a' Chùil Bhig on the north ridge of Cùl Beag
The Cìoch is a passable obstacle on the shortest route up Cùl Beag.
Making a gradual descent of Cùl Beag
My wife zig-zagged down the steeper parts of Cùl Beag and Meall Dearg.
Walking down Cùl Beag
My daughter and dog taking the most direct route down the slope. Meall Dearg lies... more
View from the edge of the cliffs of Meall Dearg
A view dominated by Cùl Mòr. The translation from the Gaelic of... more
NE from the ridge of Meall Dearg
An extensive view over the valley of the Allt an Lòin Dhuibe.
Making a route off Meall Dearg
There are cairns if you can find them!
Terrain of Leathad Doire Ruaidhe
A peaty moorland with boulders, exposed rock and wet patches.
Seeking a cairn for the path from Knockan to Cùl Beag
The nearer the start of the path, the better it is revealed on the ground by... more
Cùl Mòr from the A835 north of Drumrunie
The view from the small car park that walkers and fisherfolk can use for leisure... more
All images © Julian Paren and available under a
Creative Commons licence 
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