An Groban and Sidhean Mor Loop

This difficult loop above Flowerdale Glen packs a lot into a relatively short day: around 8 km / 5 miles with roughly 600 m / 1,970 ft of ascent, including steep, rough ground and a sustained climb onto two rugged little summits above Gairloch. The start is at the Flowerdale Glen car park on the A832 at Charlestown, Gairloch, opposite the turning for Gairloch Harbour and close to The Old Inn; the commonly used start point is around grid reference NG810752, which corresponds to the Flowerdale Glen car park near Charlestown, Gairloch. (thegreatoutdoorsmag.com)

The route begins on good lower-level paths and estate tracks through Flowerdale Glen, but it quickly becomes a much more serious hillwalk once it leaves the waymarked glen paths. Expect a mixture of firm track, rough moorland, boggy sections, faint trods, steep grassy slopes, rocky ground, and hands-on scrambling terrain if you follow the more direct lines on An Groban. Even where the scrambling is avoided, this is still a demanding outing because the ascent is abrupt and the upper mountain is craggy, pathless in places, and requires careful line choice. HiiKER is the navigation tool to rely on here, especially once the route leaves the clearer glen paths. (thegreatoutdoorsmag.com)

Getting to the start

By car, the approach is straightforward from Gairloch on the A832. The parking area sits at the foot of Flowerdale Glen, opposite the harbour turning in Charlestown, making it one of the more accessible hill starts in this part of Wester Ross. (sobt.co.uk)

By public transport, buses do serve Gairloch, and the stop for Flowerdale Glen is described as being on the A832 next to the car park, though services are very infrequent, so timetable checks are essential before committing to the walk. Walkhighlands also notes public transport simply as “Bus to Gairloch,” which is useful as a broad planning cue but not enough on its own for same-day logistics. (sobt.co.uk)

What the route feels like

The opening section is deceptively gentle. From the car park, the route heads into Flowerdale Glen past a pond and the grounds near Flowerdale House, then follows the glen on easy paths and tracks. This lower section is sheltered and greener than the hill above, with woodland, river scenery, and the waterfalls on the Allt a’ Ghlinne providing an early focal point. The glen paths are the easiest walking of the day, and they offer a useful warm-up before the route turns uphill in earnest. (thegreatoutdoorsmag.com)

After roughly 2 km / 1.25 miles, the route leaves the main track and heads toward the open hillside. This is where the character changes. The path becomes rougher, wetter, and less distinct, and the ground underfoot can be heathery and boggy. An Groban rises ahead as a compact but striking rocky hill, and despite its modest height of 383 m / 1,257 ft, it is notably steep and broken by buttresses and slabs. (thegreatoutdoorsmag.com)

If the loop includes both An Groban and Sidhean Mor, the day is best thought of as a rugged miniature mountain circuit rather than a simple short walk. The ascent to An Groban is the crux. TGO describes the hill as “rugged and rocky,” with excellent slabby rock and scrambling lines on its southwest face, while other route descriptions note that even non-scrambling lines remain steep, rough, and occasionally faint. (thegreatoutdoorsmag.com)

Landmarks and terrain

The waterfalls in Flowerdale Glen are among the most memorable lower-level landmarks. Walkhighlands identifies two falls here, Eas Dubh and Easan Bana, and the glen itself is well known locally for its flowers and sheltered beauty. Above the falls, the landscape opens