The Saddle (Glenshiel)

The Saddle

The Saddle - a rarity in Scottish Mountains - in fact the odd Munro out !! Why ? because it has an English name - yes some others have been anglicised eg Mount Keen and Broad Cairn in the Eastern Grampians, and of course The Inaccessible Pinnacle in Skye, but they do have genuine Gaelic names as well. The Saddle it seems has no actual Gaelic name. The name however is fine and keeps the Gaelic tradition of naming mountains by their appearance. When traversing The Saddle with all its tops and narrow knife edge ridges, some more nervous walkers are likely to sit with legs straddling either side of the ridge, I suppose this is more akin to horse riding in the sky, than ridge walking, and so helps the mountain live up to its name.

Whilst driving down the A87 in Glen Shiel we are absolutely spoilt for choice, with the Five Sisters, Saileag, Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg, and Aonach Mheadhion on the north side and the seven Munros of the South Glen Shiel ridge on the other side. It is however The Saddle that grabs my attention, complete with Sgurr nan Forcan it always reminds me of great days spent up there. The Ordnance Survey map makes the ridge look much more complex than it really is, when following the ridge it is hard to loose your way as it is one of the sharpest ridges in the Western Highlands. In addition to this and with no great surprise the views are excellent. Another plus point is that it can one of the shorter days out in this area, it can however be combined with Sgurr na Sgine to make a longer day.

The Saddle from Sgurr nan Forcan

The Saddle - Facts and Figures

Distance : 7 miles

Total Ascent : 3400ft

Time : 4 - 6 hours

Route Grading : One of the most exciting scrambles in the Western Highlands, if the crest is followed to the full, some fine situations can be savored. Most difficulties are avoidable, indeed the summit can be reached without climbing Sgurr nan Forchan (But this misses the best parts). In winter the route is given a Grade II rating and a rope may well be required, especially for the descent off Sgurr nan Forcan (Abseil).

Accommodation : Hotels in Sheil Bridge and the Cluanie Inn at the other end of the Glen for those who can afford it. Ratagan Youth Hostel is excellent and has been recently refurbished. Camping is also available at Shiel Bridge (short walk to the pub), or at Morvich (long walk to the pub - and even longer on the way back).

**Summits Visited In Our Route**
Gaelic Name	Translation	Height (ft)	Height (m)	Status
Sgurr nan Forcan	Forked Peak	3100ft	958m	Top
no gaelic name	The Saddle	3317ft	1010m	Munro
Spidean Dhomhuill Bhric	Spotty Donald's Peak	3082ft	940m	Top
Sgurr nan Each	Peak of the Horses	3013ft	919m	Top

**Maps**
Publisher	Scale	Title / No
Ordnance Survey	1:50000	Sheet 33
Bartholomews	1:100000	Sheet 50 and 54

The best starting point for this outing is on the A87 road about 500m east of the Quarry. Arrive early as parking spots are at a premium, particularly in the summer at weekends. A well engineered stalkers path winds its way up to the col between Biod an Fhithich and Meallan Odhar. Now we gain our first view of the Forcan Ridge and the delights to come. The path narrows and becomes a bit muddier, but it should be followed to the base of the Forcan Ridge. It is at this point less experienced walkers may wish to keep following the path up to the Bealach Coire Mhalagain which sits between Sgurr na Sgine and The Saddle, from where the summit of the mountain can be gained via a steep path.

The scramble begins up some steepish slabs with no real difficulty, and the crest of the ridge is gained where some fine exposed scrambling can be had. All too soon the summit of this part of the ridge is reached. An ideal spot for lunch and to take photos of The Saddle itself. The descent off this top is steep and involves a short tricky pitch, but the holds are big and it looks worse than it really is. The route onwards follows the crest over the east top and then up the steep rocky slope leading to the trig point. A path can be followed here but the clamber up big rocky blocks is much better fun.

Sgurr nan Forcan viewed from the west.

From the trig point a narrow ridge leads to the true summit, from here a fine perspective of Beinn Sgritheall is gained, with Skye in the background. The Saddle also has two more tops you may wish to visit, and they are worth going out to, but remember you will have to retrace your steps back to the main summit. For the descent we have two choices. We can either go back over the Forcan Ridge or for those who have had enough exposure, we can descend a steep path that leads back to the Bealach Coire Mhalagain. The descent then continues till we meet up with the stalkers path that leads back down to the A87.